Fate's Mistake
by windsoffortune
Summary: AU - In a world where demons rule the land and humans are slaves, one family is tied by the strings of fate. But fate's made a mistake that can only be fixed by one human girl. Kag x Sess or Inu.
1. Remembrance

Summary: In a world where demons rule the land and humans are slaves, one family is tied by the strings of fate. But fate's made a mistake that can only be fixed by one human girl.  
  
AN: This is my second attempt at an Inu-Yasha fanfiction. My first was an oneshot, that was truly shot down. I had tried to grasp the concept of Sesshoumaru. This one, I hope I have more successfully portrayed his being. Enjoy.  
  
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Declaimer: I don't own Inu-Yasha.  
  
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Fate's Mistake  
  
Chapter 1  
  
The sun had just peeked over the horizon, tainting the sky a brilliant array of reds and violets. High up above the trees, a single spot of cloud in the distance was speeding along at an alarming pace.  
  
Standing atop the racing cloud, surveying the land with a look of distaste, was a six foot six tall, long white haired, pointy eared, dog demon. Upon his forehead, a blue crescent moon could be seen along with magenta stripes on the sides of his face. His tail, in his humanoid form, was long and fluffy, curling around one shoulder. His face was impassive, holding no hint of emotion other than that of disinterest.  
  
The trees waved at him as the wind screamed with autumn delight. Far, far below, among the dense vegetation of the forest floor, his nose was picking up the scent of the creatures awakening. His eyes skimmed along the edges of the Western frontier, missing nothing. Every rustle of the leaves, every creep of the insect youkais were processed into his head and dismissed as unimportant.  
  
He had been sent by his father, the Inutaikou, Lord of the Western Lands, to check the borders for stray youkai and invaders. Sesshoumaru's nose crinkled in annoyance. If his half brother were not so weak, he would not have been sent to do such a tedious job.  
  
His sensitive nose detected the scent of a human even before his sharp ears heard the distant crash of shrubbery. The cloud he stood upon was above the source of noise in a second. Glancing down at the insignificant speck, he almost snorted. Almost "" for it was vulgar to snort.  
  
The human was dressed in drab clothes that were muddied and torn, most likely from his frantic flight. He threw himself through the forest with such vigor; it was as though his life depended on it.  
  
"Humph," 


	2. Haikus

Summary: In a world where demons rule the land and humans are slaves, one family is tied by the strings of fate. But fate's made a mistake that can only be fixed by one human girl.  
  
AN: Finally finished this chapter. Stared at it for a long time. I still can't seem to get what I want to say to come out smoothly, but I'm trying. I'd like to say thank you to all my reviewers. You guys are awesome, and I'm writing this chapter for all of you! Review responses are at the bottom. Oh, but I'm afraid this chapter will come as a disappointment. I am not as happy with this. Well, read on and see for yourself. ^^  
  
*** In the last chapter *** Inu-Yasha and Sesshoumaru win a fight in which they receive Kagome, a human, as a prize.  
  
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Declaimer: I don't own Inu-Yasha.  
  
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Fate's Mistake  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Kagome glared. Now that she was free from the refines of the slave driver, Jaken, she felt no need to act submissive. If anything, she really wouldn't mind if she died right then and there.  
  
"Wench, what the hell do you think you're staring at?" Inu-Yasha spat out. It intimidated him, quite frankly, to see Kikyou's exact face glaring at him so. The girl had nerve too, she was a slave, as all humans were, and she must be touched in the head to eyeball him.  
  
"I'm not exactly happy with this arrangement either, sir, so why don't you stop complaining." Kagome replied. She flinched unconsciously as she spoke the words, anticipating a heavy punishment for her stray tongue. She couldn't help it, really. Sometimes things pop into her head and out her mouth before she could even process them. That was why her last master had decided to sell her off to Jaken, the toad like slave driver; that and the fact that her ex-master, Naraku, had some strange notion that her family was cursed. Sure, people in her family seem to die painful deaths, but that should not conflict with her ability to serve. The only thing that branded her as unfit to be a servant was her big fat mouth that refused to stay shut.  
  
Inu-Yasha was infuriated. Any other demon in their right mind would have laid their claws on her and ripped her head off, but the thought did not even occur to him. He'd always been more of the expressive type, always yelling out his frustrations verses killing someone to make himself feel better. "Woman, watch what you're saying. I'm your master now so show some respect." Of course, currently, the only thing running through his mind was how uncanny the resemblance between the girl and Kikyou were.  
  
"I have a name. It's not 'wench' or 'woman.' My name's Kagome." She said through clenched teeth. She always was an uncivilized slave without much training. From her last master Naraku, she hadn't gone straight to Jaken. Between she'd been traded around to more than a few demons. Jaken thought it was unfortunate that he got landed with her and did the first thing he could to get rid of her.  
  
Sesshoumaru, tired of their bickering, decided to finally join in on the conversation. He figured that if he was to walk these two home, he might as well shut them up before they drove him crazy. "Slave, you will hold your tongue. Inu-Yasha, be quiet."  
  
Behind his back, Kagome stuck a tongue out at the hanyou, watching as he clenched his fist and glared back.  
  
The rest of the trip to the palace remained uneventful. Thankfully.  
  
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Inutaikou stared at his sons in disbelief. They had been gone for a total of less than half an hour and they had returned with yet another slave to add to their collection of well over four hundred.  
  
He fixed his stare on Sesshoumaru. "Our palace is not nearly big enough to house so many humans."  
  
"You always seem to find place for your pretty new wife." He answered and immediately regretted it. His father may be lenient with rules, but he would never stand for such insults. Sesshoumaru was thrown clear across the room, slamming into the wall. He had not dodged the attack, but he doubted he could have. His face showed nothing as he stood up again, calmly wiping the blood from his chin.  
  
"Never say that to me again." Inutaikou said softly.  
  
Sesshoumaru's eyebrow twitched the slightest. "Forgive me, father, it was not my place." He did not mean a single word of that, but what could he do? It was not like his father cared about him for anything other than his pure bloodedness. It was not Inu-Yasha's fault they had a new slave, instead it was Sesshoumaru's fault for saving his neck.  
  
"Take the slave to Kaede, she'll take care of her." Inutaikou waved a hand, dismissing his sons, the both of them.  
  
Sesshoumaru wanted nothing to do with the slave now. He didn't know what came over him, what about the slave that made him want to defend her, to keep her within his reach, to watch over and protect her. It was a sign of weakness, and he resented that. Without bothering to excuse himself, he left Inu-Yasha with the care of the new girl, Kagome, as she called herself.  
  
Inu-Yasha cursed, "Keh, how like him to load all the busy work on me." He began walking briskly down the hallways with a rude, "Follow me."  
  
Kagome's eyebrows shot up and she struggled to keep up with his pace. He was practically flying down the hallways without so much as a backward glance at her. He was rude and for some reason, Kagome got the feeling that he did not even remotely like her. Was being a human really so repulsive that he couldn't even stand to look at her, much less be within her presence? Kagome sighed softly, it had always been like this, she should have been used to this. No one ever wanted her; no one will ever want to keep her.  
  
The great arched doorways, clear crystal chandeliers, and marble carvings of great demonic fights that covered almost every inch of the fantastically wide walls did nothing to catch Kagome's attention. Sure, this palace was bigger, better, and more beautiful than any she's ever had the chance to step into, but the idea of what was waiting at the end of the long path ruined the affect. She didn't know what to expect, and she most surely had the right to expect the worse. After all, she was at the ripe age of sixteen and she'd already suffered many blows upon her.  
  
"Kaede ba chan," Inu-Yasha called out as he threw open a door and down what was obviously the servants' quarters.  
  
Kaede turned out to be a creaky old woman with a bent back and a patch over one eye. Her eyes crinkled around the edges slightly, smiling lightly at Kagome before turning to Inu-Yasha.  
  
Kagome gaped, open mouthed as this old lady began pushing the dog demon back down the hall they came from. "This is not acceptable." She muttered over and over and Inu-Yasha yelled some colorful words at her. She half dragged the struggling demon out, throwing him through the door.  
  
"What the hell was that for, hag?!"  
  
"Inu-Yasha, you do not enter the servants' quarters. You will wait outside and ring the bell if you need anything." She said calmly, "Ring the bell," and promptly closed the door in their faces.  
  
A vein in Inu-Yasha's head popped out. The hag was always doing this to him. And for some reason, he always let her. He'd pretend to struggle and act like he's her master, but in the end, he always listened to her. The human was even younger than him and he was bowing to every command.  
  
"Keh," he muttered, slamming his fist into the bell which rang for a split second before crumbling to pieces.  
  
Kaede opened the door, replaced the bell was another, and cleaned up the pieces on the floor. "What do you want?" She asked.  
  
Kaede had been through this many times before. It was a wonder that she still tried to teach him formal etiquette when she knew it would just end up with lots of broken items. She shrugged mentally. It was her job, and besides, she knew that Inu-Yasha was a kind hearted little boy inside that needed some approval.  
  
"I'm leaving her with you, get her situated." Inu-Yasha stressed the 'her,' spitting the word out like it burned his tongue. He trained a glare at her somewhat bewildered face and quickly fled.  
  
He couldn't be around her any longer. It was almost impossible to be mean to her when she looked so scared of everything. At first it was easy, she was being rude right back at him. But perhaps the house was intimidating. Perhaps his father scared her. But something certainly put her into a new mindset, and Inu-Yasha almost felt sorry for making her feel even more unwelcome than she probably already felt. Almost. Besides, it's not like he'll be seeing her anymore. The palace was humongous and the servants plentiful. What were the chances of spying her face ever again?  
  
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"Umm.." Kagome looked around her nervously. Kaede had sat her down around a little fire and was forcing her to drink soup. This was the best she had ever been treated and it made her nervous. Were the youkai going to eat her? Was she a human sacrifice? Did they dislike her so much they were going to fatten her up, chew her out, and throw the bones out to the dogs? Well, they were dogs, but.. you know what she means.  
  
It unnerved her even more when Kaede refused to look away from her face. Kagome was not a patient person, never was, and even though she was supposed to respect her elders, she couldn't find herself respecting someone who was staring at her face like she'd just grown a third eye.  
  
"What?!" She finally yelled, plunking her bowl down before her. "Is there something on my face? Have I grown an extra limb somewhere? What are you looking at? WHY are you staring at me??"  
  
Kaede chuckled at her outburst. The girl may look a lot like someone from long ago, but she was certainly different in spirit.  
  
"Forgive me, child, for staring, but you look unnervingly like my sister."  
  
"Oh," Kagome murmured. Something in Kaede's tone said that the sister was no more. And then she remembered Inu-Yasha's shocked expression when they first met. "Oh! Did Inu-Yasha know your sister?"  
  
"He did indeed," Kaede's face darkened slightly, "but it would do you good not to mention it to him."  
  
Again, the tone that said there were unfinished businesses and hidden pasts.  
  
"What happened to her?"  
  
"Her name was Kikyou," Kaede said gravely, "And she died fifty years ago."  
  
"I'm so sorry."  
  
"Not at all. It was meant to be. But as I said, you look very much like her. Identical, if I may say so. Perhaps, you are a reincarnation."  
  
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For the next two weeks, Kaede taught Kagome the rules of the household; when to bow, how to bow, and how to walk within the Inutaikou's presence. She learned about how to serve food, how to smile politely without seeming to take away the attention of important guests, and how to fade away into the backdrop. Cooking was a complete enigma to Kagome, so Kaede decided she would do better as a house maid. Kagome was drilled nonstop on the likes and dislikes of the young masters, Sesshoumaru and Inu-Yasha.  
  
Sesshoumaru liked things crisp and clean. He detested having a single thing in his room moved without his consent. When cleaning his room, one had to remove every speck of dust while leaving everything as it was when you first entered. He liked to have hot tea in the mornings and prefers quiet. In fact, the mere breathing of a human seemed to annoy him. Normally, when a servant spies the handsome young master, they were to scram.  
  
Inu-Yasha's room was always dirty. Everything was constantly in need of being replaced. He broke his desk at least once a week, and various objects were always thrown across the place. It was better for the maid not to show up in his presence, but Inu-Yasha would not lash out at a human. The only thing is to beware of his harsh tongue. He likes to be left alone, but leaving him some random sweets always cheers him up some.  
  
After such extensive studying, Kagome was finally ready to battle the household. Her first assignment was to clean Sesshoumaru's expansive room. So, on the fated day, when the servants made extra sure that Sesshoumaru would be gone for a while, they patted her on the back and wished her luck.  
  
She was lost for a good part of the first ten minutes, but when she was finally directed into the correct room, she knew she didn't have that much time to finish her work. She pushed open the extraordinarily heavy double doors, and crept in.  
  
The floor was laid with deep rich hardwood with a large furry skin in the middle for a rug. It was beautiful. The lighting was astounding. The giant windows opened out into the lush green forest below. With the sun blinking into the room, it cast its light upon every corner. To one side of the room, a long low rise table stood on firm clawed legs. A neat pile of books stacked on a corner. A single book lay open. By the wall, a vast book shelf covered much of the white marble. Volumes upon volumes of thick books covered every shelf. There were books on calligraphy, warfare, politics, herbs, and many more.  
  
Kagome turned to a sliding door and slid the compartment open to find the sleeping area. She found nothing of interest there. The picture of the open booked nagged in Kagome's mind, and before she knew it, she was already squatting down on Sesshoumaru's mat, fingering the open page.  
  
Staring down at the book, she squinted.  
  
"Ha - shin?" She began, "No.. something.. sky? No.."  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
Kagome gasped, slamming the book shut, and jumping to her feet.  
  
"Who are you?" Sesshoumaru asked, knowing very well who she was.  
  
"I'm so sorry, my lord." She gasped, "Please forgive me, I did not mean to -"  
  
"You are new." He interrupted. It was a stupid statement, but for some reason, he wanted to stop her from apologizing.  
  
She nodded, her face turning red, bowing quickly. The book was still clasped in her hand, a finger, holding the page it was at. Sesshoumaru strode over to her, plucking the book from her grasp.  
  
"Hashin," he read in his sonorous voice, "'No sky, no earth - but still snowflakes fall.' It is a haiku."  
  
Throwing the book back down on his table, he glanced at the quivering girl. "You do not know how to read?"  
  
Kagome's eyes widened. From all the stories she had heard about the wrath of this Sesshoumaru, he seemed surprisingly kind to her. She was amazed that this beautiful demon did not punish her for nosing through his things.  
  
Sesshoumaru growled impatiently, "Do you not speak, slave girl?"  
  
"Uh - no, I don't know how to read. My father tried to teach me before," she answered quickly. 'But he died,' she thought, 'killed by demons when he tried to escape from slavery.' Her eyes darkened at the thought.  
  
Sesshoumaru was shocked, even disgusted, at himself. Here he was conversing with humans; the very same species his mother had taught him were below him and never worth his time. He wasn't sure what was happening to him, but something definitely was.  
  
"Leave," he said, staring down at the book of haikus. He needed to distance himself from this maid. He will have to talk to the head of the servants.  
  
"But I have not even started -" Kagome tried to say, noticing the sudden change in his demeanor.  
  
"Leave," he repeated.  
  
Kagome felt put out, even insulted. One second he seemed almost nice, the next he was right back to what everyone said he was like. "Humph," she grumbled, stalking out of the room, muttering under her breath, something she didn't realize he could hear.  
  
"Stupid jerk. What a pompous arse! Jeez, no need to go crazy on me.."  
  
Sesshoumaru's eyebrows quirked up slightly. She was an amusing human and that was what bothered him. The fact that this Sesshoumaru should be amused by a human.. He smiled. Well, it had certainly happened once a long time ago, but surely he would not make the same mistake again.  
  
Sesshoumaru went to bed that night with the image of an adorable little girl with long black hair and a name on his lips.  
  
"Rin."  
  
:End Chapter 2:  
  
AN: I didn't spend as much time on this chapter, so I'm not very happy with its delivery. I'll just post this and work harder on the next chapter. Keep in mind, for those of you who think the story is moving along slowly, that I'm writing this so that people who don't know Inu-Yasha might somehow understand what is happening. Plus this IS an AU so things are different. ^^ thank you for reading, and please review.  
  
Responses:  
  
Marnika - I'm surprised that you can't tell this story is an AU. I say in the summary that its set in a world where demons rule and humans are slaves. It's set in a make believe youkai country where Inutaikou rules the western lands. But now I know it wasn't clear, thx for reviewing. ^^  
  
Lima Squamosa - Thank you for your many compliments. I'm sorry I haven't found the time to read your story. That is also why my update is so slow. ^^ About the Sess/Kag or Inu/Kag thing, I'll be talking about that in my ANs to come. So stay tuned. Hehe  
  
Breshcandra / tsuki-chan / ko-chan / thundergirl / lid - Thanks for your support. It really makes me feel good about my story. ^^ I'm glad you guys all like my first chapter. I'm continuing for all of you! I hope you enjoyed the second as well, though I confess it is not as well written. ^^ thank you again!  
  
Ria - haha, thanks very much. I'll continue this story as long as I get fab feedback from fantastic people like you. ^^ Thx.  
  
Fay - ^^ I'm so happy that people really do like my first chapter. It makes me feel very very good. You have no idea. ^^ Thx soo much.  
  
Lirpa - Haha, thank you for reading this. I promise I'll expose you to more anime, if only through my stories. Of course, feel free to borrow anime from me anytime you want too. Kikyou ~ well, you'll find out about her some more as the story progresses. 


	3. Rain

Summary: In a world where demons rule the land and humans are slaves, one family is tied by the strings of fate. But fate's made a mistake that can only be fixed by one human girl.

AN: I'm very mad at myself. I meant to add the beginning of this chapter to last chapter. Now it ruins the whole affect. sigh Anyway, this chapter is a very weird set up. It consists of two main flashback sort of things. The first is Sesshoumaru, this is kind of like his dream, but it actually happened, k? And then it's back to present, and then on to Kagome's flashback. Which, I must confess is very .. uh, dark. Oh well, I'll shut up and see if you guys get it.

Warnings: Angst and crying.. yea

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Declaimer: I don't own Inu-Yasha.

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In the Last Chapter

Sesshoumaru went to bed that night with the image of an adorable little girl with long black hair and a name on his lips.

"Rin."

Fate's Mistake

Chapter 3

And he dreamed..

--------------------------------- Sixty years ago

The cool steel emitted a gentle ring that echoed in the spacious room. It was beautiful, all sharp edges and smooth metal. Not a chip could be spied on the metallic surface; not a scratch in sight. A sword whose blade was not made to kill. A sword that, for all its magnificence, was utterly useless.

He was furious, and certainly had reason to be. "Some inheritance," he spat out in a rare display of emotion. He had spent three days in this room of white washed walls, and he still could not find out what good the sword was for.

He stood up, practically throwing the sword back into its scabbard, and strode out purposefully. He would stay here no longer. Of all his forty years of life, he had never been so insulted. From the death of his mother, to the human who replaced her, Sesshoumaru had had enough.

In seconds, Sesshoumaru was racing through the woods surrounding his father's palace. As the trees glanced by, he fumed. His life was not what it used to be. His mother's last words were thrown to waste. "Cherish that youthful innocence, love," she had said, kissing her son on the forehead. And then she was gone, gone forever from the world, swept up in the bloodthirsty battle of the demons. Cherish his innocence indeed, Sesshoumaru sneered. It was the servants who informed him of his mother's death. His father had not cared enough to make an appearance.

All his life, his father had viewed him only as an heir, not as a son. Sesshoumaru had decided that the Inutaikou was not one for showing his feelings. But he was wrong. In ten years time, his father had bedded a human and produced the one thing that defiled the Inutaikou's family: the half breed. The brat, met by the demonic world with great distaste, was showered with affection from their father.

The brat may only be six, but he sure was on the receiving end of more love than Sesshoumaru had ever even witnessed in his father.

He stopped his headlong flight, his chest heaving slightly from the anger that flooded to his head. Here he was, officially named the heir to the Western Lands, and his gift was a sword that did zilch. He yanked the sword out of its scabbard, cutting the metallic ring off by slicing it through the nearest tree. For a split second, he hoped something happened, but then he knew; the sword that was to be his inheritance would not cut.

His fist slammed into the tree, bringing it crashing down. It proved satisfying and his anger slowly ebbed away.

In the distance, he heard the sound of voices, loud and brash. His frustrations not quite out of his mind yet, he decided to lash out some more. In seconds his nose traced the source of the noises, his claws whipped out, and the three humans dropped dead. His eyes scanned over the blood splattered bodies, following the road they had been walking upon. A small form on the floor a few meters from him quivered then lay still. His nose told him the young human was dead. But curiosity drew him closer.

It was a human child, not more than nine years old. She was small, crumpled on the floor with bruises on her face. Something twitched ever so slightly within Sesshoumaru.

"Cherish that youthful innocence, love."

The damned sword was out of the scabbard before he knew what he was doing. He told himself he was curious as to the swords power, but even as his eyes focused on the pall-bearers, he had no idea what he was doing nor why.

The pall-bearers were ugly beings, like little fat brown toads with rows of protruding teeth. They had come to take away the dead. Sesshoumaru brought his sword down upon the creatures, slicing them through with the Tenseiga. He knew now what stupidity the sword was for.

He watched silently as the little girl sat back up again, brought back to life by a mere swing of a sword.

Her big innocent eyes blinked up at him. It was like the imprinting that occurs when baby chickens are born. From that moment on, the human girl Sesshoumaru brought back to life latched herself to him and followed him everywhere.

Perhaps it was the "youthful innocence" that he so lacked or perhaps it was the combination of his inner turmoil, but whatever the reason, Sesshoumaru tolerated the child as any human would his own daughter.

He would travel with her for weeks to come, until fate came to take her away. But for the time being....

Sesshoumaru's amber eyes trained in the distance, watching for anything that might be a threat to his Rin's safety.

"Sesshoumaru sama?" A twinkling voice called from behind.

He turned to face her as she ran up the dirt path in the forest.

"Hai, Rin."

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Kagome trudged along after Kaede. "You know, I don't get that Sesshoumaru guy," she said aloud, still thinking about the Haiku session she had with him the day before.

"Shhhh!" Kaede hushed her, "Inside this house, the demons hear everything."

"Even that annoying half demon one?"

"Child," Kaede's tone warned.

"Okay okay, sorry."

The old woman's knuckles rapped again the door they finally stopped in front of. It opened on squeaky hinges, and a girl poked her head out.

"Oh, Kaede, it's you. What is it?" The girl asked.

"Sango, I want you to take this girl in. Kagome Higurashi, she's new." The old woman explained.

Sango gestured for Kagome to come in. "Of course," she nodded amicably.

"She'll work shifts with you, but keep her out of Inu-Yasha's suite."

With that, Kaede left.

Sango shut the door, inspecting Kagome with expert eyes. "Well, you look my size, so you'll do fine in some of my clothes. And I don't know about this Inu-Yasha business, but I guess that's fine by me."

Kagome shifted uncomfortably. "Um.. Nice to meet you."

Sanga chuckled, "Nice to meet you too." And within moments went through all the rules and regulations of their room. "You sleep there. Wake up time is six unless we have night shift. Since we're rooming and you're new, we'll work the same shifts as Kaede says. Breakfast can be taken in the kitchen. Bathroom that way and drawers there," she said, leading Kagome through the room.

"Sango," Kagome began timidly, squatting on the floor of her new room, "have you ever been assigned to Sesshoumaru's room before?"

Sango laughed, "Who HASN'T been assigned to his room before?"

She explained further, "Look, the thing is NO ONE wants to be handed his job. All the old timers know enough to steer clear of Kaede when she's looking for someone to handle that shift. That's why she gives that particular job to new people. But everyone always complains. He's a touchy one, that demon. Always manages to scare the servants. They start begging for another job after the first time."

Kagome wondered why. The demon certainly wasn't that awful when he scared her. True that she almost had a heart attack, but then he had gone and read her a haiku. He was rude, but in his own way, he seemed kind. Kagome shook her head. Why was she even thinking about him? What was so special about the demon other than his amazingly good looks?

Sanga fell back on the floor, gazing up at the ceiling. "Either way, I'm surprised you've had no real complaints other than the fact that the demon was rude." She looked at the silent girl beside her and grinned. "How old are you anyway?"

"I'm sixteen."

"Where are you from?"

Kagome, lay down on the floor next to Sango, deciding that a little getting-to-know-her-better moment wouldn't be so bad.

"I came from the south. My owner sold me after my father ran away from him. He said my family was cursed. Just because my father ran away and was killed by someone other than his slave catchers. Just because my brother was beaten to death by his own demons. Just because my mother died during a flood." Kagome wiped tears from her face. She hadn't meant to talk about these things. They were still too fresh, the pain of it all. She wasn't ready to think about them yet.

Sango patted the girl next to her. "Oh, Kagome, I'm so sorry."

Everything that had happened so far overwhelmed the shuddering girl. She'd been dragged from one awful demon castle to another palace. Everyone she'd ever loved had died and left her. The second news of her father's death reached Lord Naraku's ears, he had sold her off. She hadn't even had time to grieve the death of her family.

Tears spilled over her lids, her hand pressed to her mouth in an attempt to hold back her sobs. Her mind panicked. She didn't know anyone here; everything was so new, so unknown.

Sango rubbed the girl, pulling her up to lean against the wall. "Kagome, don't cry, please don't cry."

Kagome's mind registered the somewhat familiar voice, her hand clutching onto Sango.

Sango hugged the sobbing girl, rocking her back and forth. The poor girl had been through so much. It was always such a shock for new slaves coming in. They were always so traumatized by events in their lives. She rubbed Kagome's back softly, murmuring quietly to the girl. She knew how emotionally draining it was, she'd gone through this before.

In a small corner of Kagome's mind, something flickered. A soft voice called to her and her story poured out of her mouth before she could stop herself.

------------------------------- Two years ago....

"Kagome?"

"Kagome! Wake up!"

Kagome rolled over on the futon, pulling the sheets over her head. "No'm, a lil longer.."

She snuggled into the warm sheets. They were so.. so.. warm. She smiled contently, the annoying voice that talked to her moments before forgotten.

Suddenly, the sheets were yanked away. She bolted upright, gasping at the cold air.

"Mom!"

Her mother smiled maliciously. "I've been trying to wake you up for the past half an hour."

Kagome shook her head lightly. "Oh, Mom, I'm sorry."

Her mother laughed lightly before ducking out of the room, humming a tuneless melody.

She was always the last to rise and it embarrassed her. Her family was hard working and Kagome felt like she wasn't pulling her weight. Quickly, quietly, she shifted the futon, folding it neatly and stacking it in a corner. She looked disdainfully at their puny room. It was an awful place to live, but it was the only place she knew to be her home. Sometimes, when she thinks no one is watching, Kagome would drape herself on an embroidered chair in Lord Naraku's castle, pretending she was a demon, not a lowly human. But she'd always chase the thoughts from her mind. She shouldn't be ashamed of being human. She just couldn't help it.. she wanted so much to be able to lay her head on soft cushions and warm blankets.

Her bare feet padded against the ground as she hurried to finish her morning chores. She passed by the garden where her father and brother were already hard at work, all of them ignoring the rain that was pounding on their heads. Without so much as sparing them a second glance, she scurried onwards to the back entrance of the kitchen. She wiped her feet dutifully, carefully removing mud from between her toes so that she wouldn't defile the floor of the kitchen.

The older women only briefly acknowledged the young girl before returning to their conversations.

"Yes, yes, my husband was saying that also."

"It's awful isn't it? If it rains anymore.. I don't know what would happen."

"Do you think the Lords will allow us to stay in higher lands?"

"Heaven's no. The demons could care less if the flood wipes us all out. The marketing for slaves has gone up."

"Is that so.."

They murmured to one another, gossiping about this and that. Kagome concentrated on her dishes, trying in vain to keep her mind from wandering.

There was bound to be a flood at the rate this storm was going. Did the demons truly not care? Would they continue to allow the slaves to stay in the lower areas of the lands? But of course.. of course they don't care. Why should they? 'We're only humans after all,' Kagome thought bitterly. Her hands gripped the beautiful china that was half submerged in soapy waters.

The crack was loud, cutting off the old women's chatter. Kagome blinked rapidly, feeling the tears form behind her eyes. She dropped to her knees, facing the other slaves, her head bowing.

"Please forgive me," she pleaded, "It won't happen again. I was not thinking. It is unacceptable, but please," she raised her eyes to the others, "forgive me."

The trickle of blood from the cut made her hands slippery on the tile floor. She curled her fingers in, digging her nails into her palm, deepening the cut as she awaited their answer.

She knew they would go easy on her, they would not tattle to the demons. They would watch out for her and try to explain about the broken dish. She would not be punished.

But luck was not on her side. The silent women all gasped collectively as the door to the kitchen blew open. He stood there, eyes blood red, staring at the humans.

"What noise do I hear?"

He was the slave driver. They knew him by no other name. He was not a powerful demon, thus was given the job to watch over them. He was plain old "Lord," and he was the sole reason for all the pain the slaves of Lord Naraku suffered. That is, those who had not crossed paths with the infamous demon.

"Answer me, filth!"

Kagome shuddered involuntarily, turning to the slave driver. "Lord," she swallowed, "forgive me. I was careless and broke a plate."

The Slave Driver's lips curled back, revealing sharp fangs. "Broke a plate, did you? Thought you could get away with it, didn't you?" His grin widened, "Thought you would get off easy, did you?"

He advanced towards her with each menacing question. When he was close enough that she could smell his foulness, his hand reached out. She flinched, pulling back slightly, but his hands were already entangled in her hair, yanking her off her feet and pulling her head back. "Human, did you think I would not find out?"

He laughed. It was disgusting, breathing him in, smelling his breath as he laughed hacking laughs.

In a swift motion, he flung her at the back door. She yelped as her back collided with its wooden frame, the force of the impact, breaking it off its hinges, taking the door out with her as she skidded into the mud and rain. Kagome winced, trying to drag herself back up. Her head was dizzy and everything swam before her eyes. She faintly recognized the slave driver walking leisurely towards her.

The pain of everything brought tears to her eyes, but it made no difference for the rain pounding down on her washed it away.

Rain.. it washed away her pains and sorrows.

She opened her mouth slightly, tasting the rain, the pouring droplets that cooled her sore back.

The Slave Driver's foot came flashing, sinking itself into the soft flesh of her stomach, pulling her up feet into the air.

Kagome exhaled sharply, the air forced out of her lungs. Her mind barely had a chance to register the pain before she was flying, so unpleasantly falling through the air. Her arms flailed about, trying desperately to hold onto something, to break her fall before it broke her.

She landed yards away from where she was originally. Landed on her arm, the loud crack drowned out by the rain. She screamed at the pain that exploded into her muscles.

"Oh gods," she whimpered, squeezing her eyes shut, "Oh gods, please let it end."

She was crawling, on three limbs, her hand grabbing handfuls of mud, and she slipped and slid, crawling as far away from the demon as she could.

Her mind cried out. Her heart screamed. Her soul wept.

He stoned her. Not to death, but as she crawled from him, he laughed his menacing laugh and pelted rocks at her with amazing accuracy. They cut her, drawing blood on her face, her arms, her back.. everywhere. She sobbed out at the pain, yelling into the thundering rain, shrieking her miseries and agony.

It was always like this. No matter how hard to tried, she could not please the demons. In the end, they would hurt her. They would hurt her and her family.. her people, her kind.

She could not escape.

Will death not come for her?

Death…. death will be better than this..

She was sleeping, peacefully, blissfully, dreamlessly sleeping, finally free from the pain. She didn't even realize she was not breathing, didn't even know. Didn't know until someone had yanked her up back to the surface, pulling her head clear up above the water.

She gasped in the air she did not realize she needed, immediately breaking out into a violent attack of coughs.

Her mother was the one who found her, hours later. Days maybe, Kagome couldn't remember. All she remembered was that it was her mother's face she saw.

"Kagome! Kagome, oh, baby, please don't die."

"Mom?" She whispered, but her mother couldn't hear her. It was still pouring. The rain refusing to stop, like the torrent of tears that refused to stop leaking from her eyes.

It took a while before she noticed her feet were kicking in the water. It took a while before she realized she was in water.

"Mom! What happened!" She cried out. She tried to reach her arms out to help keep her body afloat, but the sharp pain in her arm stopped her.

Her eyes peered through the rain and spotted land. Land.. why wasn't she originally on land? She made out the silhouettes of her father and her little brother.

"Mom!" She yelled again, her voice growing hoarse as the loud rain roared into her ear.

"Don't worry, baby, I'm going to get you out. I'm going to save you as I never could before."

Her mother was crying, she could tell.

She was close now, close to the land, to her father's outreached hands. Her mother, lurched her forward, almost throwing her at her father. He grabbed her good arm, and with the help of her brother, Souta, pulled her out of the water.

As Kagome's feet touched the muddy land, she heard her father's anguished cry. She saw the tree crash down, the soil that held it down, washed away. She saw, before her very own eyes, her mother..

Her beautiful, special mother who ..

Kagome squeezed her eyes shut. "NO!!" She shrieked, bordering hysteria. "No!! Mom!!"

But it was true, the tree had crashed down into the water, snaring her mother in its branches.

They did not find her body till weeks later, when the storm finally ended, when the flood finally receded.

Kagome found out much later that she had been slipped into unconsciousness after the beating; that no one had gone to look for her; that it had rained so hard the river truly did overflow; that the water had flooded up past their tiny houses, flooding over Kagome who lay unconscious.

Her beautiful, special mother who she loved so much.

Kagome howled into the sky her anguish. Why did the gods have to be so cruel?

She wanted to blame herself, but in the end settled with hatred for the entire slavery system.

Most of all..

She hated the rain.

Rain.. it washed away her pains and sorrows.. but it took more than that..

It took her happiness.

:End Chapter 3:

AN: I have something extremely elaborate planned, but I can't find out how to fit the whole thing in. Basically there are three separate stories. There's Sesshoumaru's past, Inu-Yasha's past, and then the present. This will all tie in with the whole "fate" idea. I know jumping back and forth from past to present is annoying, but I can't think of any other way of incorporating this idea into the story. Bear with me. And please, by all means, review!

My thanks to my reviewers for the last chapter.


	4. Cry

Summary: In a world where demons rule the land and humans are slaves, one family is tied by the strings of fate. But fate's made a mistake that can only be fixed by one human girl.  
  
AN: ^^ Yay, no complaints about this chappie, enjoy reading. Only confusing part is the end, it goes back to about fifty some years in the past.  
  
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Declaimer: I don't own Inu-Yasha.  
  
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Fate's Mistake  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Autumn days blew colder and the sky threatened to snow. Frost blanketed the ground every morning, adding to the gloom. Kagome's dull eyes watched the grayness of the landscape before her. She found herself slacking off more and more. Ever since her outburst, her emotional breakdown, she felt herself dwindle down into nothing. It was as though life no longer mattered to her. She had kept up her fighting spirit, wanting to mourn for her family, but the moment that she did, the guilt of her past caught up with her, entangling her in its dark masses. Sango had told her that her mother's death should not be in vain. That if her mother died saving her, then she should go on living. But it wasn't that simple. Words meant nothing. What did they know about what she was feeling? What do they care? She was only a slave, a new slave brought home by the young masters; an unwanted member of their "family."  
  
Kagome absentmindedly drew the piece of rag in her hand across one of the many wooden shelves. She took her time even though she was currently occupying, or cleaning, the spacious suite that belonged to Lord Sesshoumaru. It didn't really matter how long it took to wipe the dust from his already spotless book shelf. The demon had avoided her for the past few weeks, since the last time he read her the haiku. He knew when she was there, and took to keeping himself out of her sight. It was strange, being in his room, knowing that he would do nothing to disturb the quiet peacefulness while she worked. Kaede was equally shocked, but quickly grasped onto this new revelation and made use of it. It had always been such a hassle getting someone to manage the young lord's room, but now it seemed the perfect solution had arrived.  
  
Kagome began placing the books back on the massive shelf. She'd taken them off to thoroughly rid the place of dust. Her mind remembered exactly where each book would go. Her fingers worked on their own. She vaguely wondered what happened to that book of haikus she first saw, lying open on Sesshoumaru's table. But it didn't really matter now. She was sad that the young master was avoiding her. She couldn't figure out why, but somehow, she must have insulted him.  
  
She sighed lightly. What did it matter now? She was only inviting trouble if she continued to reminisce in the past. But it seemed that what little memory she had of the Lord was what kept her in the present. It was that little sliver of memory that kept her from sinking into depression. At the same time, it was the memory of him that drove her insane with wonder. He was an enigma to her, and until she found out what kind of a demon he was, she would not lose to the demons of her past.  
  
---------------------------------  
  
The young lord inhaled deeply. He could smell her; her musky scent. He laid a hand gently on the grand oak door to his room. Two inches of strong wood separated him from the strange creature that had been on his mind for much too long. He had wanted to ask Kaede for another maid, but could not bring himself to do so. He found too much comfort in the human girl's scent, too much comfort in the idea that she was the one who smoothed out his sheets, whose hands brushed over his books, whose presence he could sense each day.  
  
He knew it was a losing battle. He fought valiantly to escape from the human, fought the strong pull of her essence. He knew it was a losing battle, but at least he would be satisfied that he had attempted to somehow thwart fate's wishes. It was as it had been with Rin. He could no more say "no" to Rin than he could stay away from his household's new slave.  
  
The hand that rested on the door exerted slight pressure. The door swung open on well oiled hinges, silent and purposeful. His other hand lightly dangled the book of haikus from its fingers.  
  
He watched her with his golden eyes as she sighed lightly, obviously lost in her own thoughts. Her long cascading black hair was washed and clean, tied up in ponytail so that it would not interfere with her work. She was very different from the day he saw her in the marketplace. She had been soiled and dirty; her eyes were defiant and angry. Now, she was clean and crisp, but her eyes were sad and desolate. He would have to do something about that.  
  
"Hashin," Sesshoumaru's voice murmured, "No sky, no earth, but still snowflakes fall."  
  
Kagome gasped, turning to him sharply. She had not expected to see him. "You!" She cried out, quite unaware of how rude it sounded.  
  
He blinked his amber eyes at her, quiet and emotionless.  
  
"I'm sorry, I was just shocked." Kagome said, "I mean, lord, sorry. Uhh.. Lord Sesshoumaru, forgive me."  
  
Kagome groaned aloud, quickly hitting herself on the head. "No, you idiot, can't you even talk straight?"  
  
She was talking to herself again, Sesshoumaru thought, the corners of his lips curving up slightly in amusement. Watching her beat herself up was lightening his mood.  
  
She scowled at him, however, guessing that the demon was secretly laughing at her. "Oh, shut up," she said, "you know what I mean."  
  
Kagome gasped yet again, clamping her hand over her mouth in surprise. Stammered apologies quickly flew out of her mouth. She hadn't meant to sound rude, words just randomly form. She always did think her mouth had a mind of its own.  
  
Sesshoumaru more or less ignored the stuttering girl. He walked up next to her and elegantly sat himself down beside her. She shut up immediately.  
  
He pointed to the haiku he had read when he entered.  
  
"Um... do you want me to read that?" Kagome asked uncertainly.  
  
"Can you?" his voice challenged.  
  
"Hashin. No sky, no earth - but still, snowflakes fall." Kagome recited.  
  
He nodded his regal head. Sesshoumaru's finger slid down to the next haiku, his eyes watching Kagome.  
  
"What is this, a test?" Kagome scrunched up her face in concentration before falling back, a little disappointed. "I don't know that word."  
  
"Issa."  
  
"Issa," she repeated like a little girl, "In my old home, which I.. I .."  
  
Sesshoumaru smiled. "Forsook," he volunteered.  
  
"Forsook, the.. cherries?" At his nod, she continued, "are in bloom."  
  
"Read it again." His voice commanded.  
  
"Issa. In my old home, which I forsook, the cherries are in bloom."  
  
And that was how each afternoon found the pair, crouched over the little book while Sesshoumaru taught the illiterate slave to read.  
  
-----------------------------  
  
The snow had begun to fall. It was the first day and Kagome had woken to Sango's delighted yell. She blinked groggily out their window and saw the blanket of pure white. Kagome's face split into a gigantic grin. Today promised to be a good day as Sesshoumaru had said he would read to her from one of his great leather bound books on philosophy. Well, he didn't say he would, but he didn't object when she asked.  
  
Sango danced Kagome around the room. "The first snow of autumn! It means a new beginning, a fresh start, a clean slate!" She laughed happily. "I LOVE the snow!"  
  
Kagome laughed along with her new friend. A clean slate and a fresh start, she liked the sound of it. Kagome wouldn't mind starting off anew. She let the past slip from her mind. The present was a much better place to be.  
  
-----------------------------  
  
He breathed in the tingling smell of snow and smiled broadly. He loved it, staring out into the white abyss of clean, untouched snow. Untouched until he got to it, of course. Laughing at the fresh snow, he launched himself out of the house, cannonballing into the white blanket. The smooth surface crushed under his weight and he rolled around in its coldness.  
  
Inu-Yasha leapt back up, running back into the house. It was on a snowy day like this that he had first met Kikyou. His brow furrowed. On second thought, that wasn't exactly a good thing since the girl brought along so many bad memories. In fact, she down right ruined his life! What started off as a great day quickly turned into an awful day. Inu-Yasha's fist clenched, he couldn't be rid of her memory no matter how hard he tried. He wasn't really a bitter person. He wasn't bitter at all. He was just mad, frustrated, furious at himself, at her. At the whole goddamned world!  
  
He scowled. In a matter of minutes his good mood had diminished into nothing. Just great, Kikyou was dead and still she wouldn't let him rest.  
  
His mind preoccupied, and his nose still full of the smell of snow, he ran smack into someone's headlong flight.  
  
"OW! Damnit, watch where you're going!" He bit out angrily.  
  
Kagome winced as she hit the floor. She'd been so eager to hear Sesshoumaru read that she didn't look. When she heard the boyish voice, however, she immediately regretted it.  
  
"Ah, I'm so sorry, my lord. I was not watching."  
  
"Damn right you weren't watching!" He stood up, brushing himself off.  
  
He stopped suddenly, it was the girl. The girl who's face was Kikyou's. Just when he was thinking about the wretched human, what luck he had. Inu- Yasha growled at himself. "Wench, just get out of my sight."  
  
A small corner of his mind told him not to be so rude. It's not her fault she wears the face of someone who betrayed him in the past, after all.  
  
"I have a name, its Kagome. Use it!" She spat out. New start, clean slate, out the window. It was just too hard trying to create a better image of herself with this spitting hanyou in her face. She marched up to the door she was originally going to. Before her knuckles contacted the wooden surface, it was thrown open.  
  
Sesshoumaru's gaze went past Kagome at Inu-Yasha whose mouth was wide open as he stared at the odd picture before him. Kagome and Sesshoumaru.  
  
Kagome and Sesshoumaru?  
  
Kagome and his brother, Sesshoumaru??  
  
Sesshoumaru nodded for the slave to go into his room. As Kagome slipped out of Inu-Yasha's view, his mind exploded with questions. What exactly was happening here? He hadn't seen the slave since that very first day. It'd only been a few weeks and already she was with Sesshoumaru? And exactly what was she doing in his room? Surely Sesshoumaru didn't have....didn't have.. a .. a.. a mistress??  
  
"Inu-Yasha, get your mind out of the gutter." Sesshoumaru said softly, narrowing his eyes at his brother.  
  
"You - you and.. and HER," Inu-Yasha pointed at the door.  
  
"You're sleeping with her!" He accused, "With Kikyou's look-alike. I had no idea you liked Kikyou. Why would you? Why would I?"  
  
"Inu-Yasha," Sesshoumaru's voice cut through the air, knocking his half brother back into his sense.  
  
He closed his eyes, forcing the wild notions out of his head. Of course not, his brother wasn't crazy like that. And the girl wasn't Kikyou. She said her name was Kagome. Kagome was it, well, she was.. she was different. No matter how much Inu-Yasha hated Kikyou.. there was really no reason for him to hate Kagome too.  
  
His competitive side flared. Especially not when she seems to fancy Sesshoumaru! Inu-Yasha should be the top pick. Besides, if she looks like Kikyou, then she must like the same kind of people as Kikyou. Which means, logically, she should like Inu-Yasha. So what in the world was she doing in Sesshoumaru's room??  
  
Sesshoumaru resisted the temptation to snort at the wild look in Inu- Yasha's eyes. The Halfling was obviously having an inner battle with himself. He decided to leave Inu-Yasha standing there since he wasn't noticing his surroundings anyway.  
  
Inu-Yasha looked up when the door closed. What had happened? Whatever it was, he didn't like it.  
  
When he was finally back to the confinements of his room, Inu-Yasha frowned, squatting on the floor, scratching his head with a claw.  
  
Kagome, she wasn't bad looking. He didn't really hate her, it was just her face, how could anyone's face be so similar! She was obviously not Kikyou, but a little part of Inu-Yasha still couldn't let go of the slave girl from fifty years ago. Had it really been so long? Would he be able to let her go, to rid his mind of all this hate, all this sorrow, all this .. love?  
  
----------------------------------------- Fifty some years ago  
  
Inu-Yasha was almost twenty with the appearance of a sixteen year old. He had spent twenty years of his life trying to prove himself. But it was never enough. No matter what he did, his brother still regarded him with cool indifference. No matter how well he fought, his brother's eyes looked somewhere else. He wanted only acceptance, only someone who would look at him and think of him as an equal.  
  
He found some comfort in his well equipped claws. But what good did it do to go out and have to fight all the time? When he wasn't fighting humans, he was fighting demons. In the end, no one was his friend. He was trapped between two worlds, a little of both, yet fitting in with neither.  
  
He trudged along the darkened streets of the Western lands. The lamps on the side of the street flickered. He was weary from all the fighting he had done during the day. He was supposed to be guarded closely by his brother, Sesshoumaru, but he had run away. Sesshoumaru could have easily found him again, but his brother was thoughtful enough to give him his solitude. Thoughtful or uncaring, one of those.  
  
Inu-Yasha's dim eyes took in his surroundings, the play of shadows as they formed and then slipping back into the darkness. Someone was following him.  
  
It happened often enough that he didn't really care anymore. He glanced up ahead, measuring the distance before he would reach the palace's well guarded gates. It would take him another five minutes. If he ran, he could make it in two minutes, max. Judging from the melting shadows, there must be at least six demons trailing him. His mind weighed his chances and he decided flight against fight.  
  
He leapt into the air, spinning off the ground. Just as he felt the blast of wind in his face and he caught the currents, he was knocked back on the ground. He landed on his feet, sliding a few yards as he dug his claws into the dirt to stop himself.  
  
Damn, his mind thought.  
  
There really were six of them. They were younger than he was and looked no more than twelve. He smirked. His mind knew they would be a hard lot to fight against as all were full blooded demons, but if he could get them riled up, it would be a lot easier.  
  
"So, too afraid to take me one on one, huh?" He drawled slowly, edging backwards.  
  
They snarled at him, not liking the idea of being cowardly.  
  
"Half breed, don't think you can hide behind your father's name and your wily tongue." One of them said, he nodded at the rest, "Get him!"  
  
The pounced, all six of them at once, latching onto Inu-Yasha. His mind panicked. How could he fight all six of them? His claw lashed out, grabbing one and throwing him as hard as he could into a nearby tree. Five other pairs of claws slashed into his skin. He wouldn't allow them the satisfaction of seeing him wince. As blood splashed forth, he spun around quickly, one fist contacting with the skull of a cat demon, the other crushing the arm of another. The one with the crushed arm yelped in pain and fell back.  
  
He was down to four.  
  
But they jumped again, two of them grabbed his limbs so he couldn't swing them away. The rest of them went for him with flying punches.  
  
They beat him again and again. Punches collided with his face, crushing his nose, splitting his lips. His eyes were black and blue. He spat blood out as they cracked ribs and made him want to throw up. Groaning, he keeled over.  
  
"Halfling, I'd rip your face off if I could." One demon spat out.  
  
"You'll regret not doing it," Inu-Yasha said shakily. He grinned, showing his bloodied teeth. "I'll hunt you down and kill you."  
  
"You can try!"  
  
The flood of punches came again, this time with claws extended. They ripped him to pieces, his haori shredded. Blood seeped from long streaks of claw marks. When they were finally satisfied that they had taught him a lesson, the two on his limbs broke an arm each and they melted back into the shadowy night.  
  
It was winter time, and the snow beneath his crumpled body stained a deep red. He lay there in the cold for a long time, just breathing in and out. In and out. It was okay, he told himself. He was okay.  
  
He was strong, not like what the demons assumed. He would be strong; he wouldn't let them conquer him like this. He had to be strong, for the sake of his family, for the sake of being a demon.  
  
He pulled himself to his feet, dragging across the dirt road, dragging himself closer to home. His arms ached, the pain from it all, exploding. His mind was blank, devoid of any thought. All he knew was that, he would be strong.. he would be okay.  
  
The girl sat up straighter as the white haired youth came into sight. Surely, surely that wasn't Inu-Yasha?  
  
He smirked, swallowing the metallic taste of blood. He scared the humans, but it was the sight of his bloodied form that seemed to make the girls recoil in shock. His mind told him the girl would run from him, bringing up a mental barrier that prepared him for the worst: rejection.  
  
His eyes, cold and glinting gold, watched her. She stood up, and ran to his side, quickly assessing his situation, noting the broken arms. She led him back, her cool hands numbing some of the pain as she took him through the back where the servants came and went.  
  
Slowly, carefully, she cleaned and washed his wounds, laying him on what was obviously her own bed.  
  
"Little lord," her soft voice soothed him, "Don't worry now."  
  
He turned away from her, from her lovely face, from her soft hands. He was strong; he didn't need the help of a human. He didn't need to be cared for.  
  
"Why aren't you afraid?"  
  
She looked slightly amused as she bound the bandages tightly around him. "Should I be?"  
  
A single tear slid down his face, touching the pillow his head rested on.  
  
No, they shouldn't be afraid of him. He was only human, only demon, only wanting to fit in.  
  
She sat back against the wall, content on letting him stay and rest.  
  
"Cry," She said, "it's not good to bottle things up inside. It's okay to cry, it's not a sign of weakness. It's a sign that you've learned something, a sign of growth."  
  
Her words hit home. It wasn't a weakness then, the tears that slid from his eyes so readily.. he would grow and become stronger and better than before.  
  
He would grow and protect this simple slave girl whose cool touch saved him, whose gentle words comforted him.  
  
"What is your name?"  
  
"Kikyou."  
  
He would grow and he would protect his Kikyou.  
  
:End Chapter 4: 


	5. Lilacs

Summary: In a world where demons rule the land and humans are slaves, one family is tied by the strings of fate. But fate's made a mistake that can only be fixed by one human girl.  
  
AN: Um, let's see, took me a while for this one, sorry. ^^ Not much to say about it. Just that its mainly Inu and kagome bonding this chapter. The beginning part will be strange, but don't worry bout that. And, new character at the end who may play an important role later on, still to be decided tho. o.O she's definitely in the next chappie tho. And last thing, after this chapter, vote on which pairing you want, okay? I'll definitely take into consideration what you guys vote for and why, but in the end I might choose on my own. ^^ but vote still, cuz I'll probably go with ur votes.  
  
But read this chapter first and then vote.  
  
Vote for either Inu-Yasha and Kagome or Sesshoumaru and Kagome.  
  
~~~ Thanks to my reviewers, Vanessa chan, Stacerue, flower, and lirpa. You guys all wrote some really comforting things that were, really really nice! Thank you guys so much. Special thanks to Allegretto for finally reviewing ^^ and your review made me feel like this story was really a "wow" story. Thanks to all! ~~~  
  
Warning: Mild cursing from Inu-Yasha.  
  
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Declaimer: I don't own Inu-Yasha.  
  
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Fate's Mistake  
Winds of Fortune  
  
Chapter 5  
  
It was dark..crimson. Blood red, black red. Like a painting where the artist went mad and flung red and black paint on the canvas. That was what he felt like; mad, filled with rage, with a need to rip and shred and destroy. His eyes saw the canvas of crazed colors. Was it blood? His or otherwise? He did not know, did not care. He could hear himself breathing heavily. His mouth hung open slightly, his chest expanding and deflating in large rapid breathes. He could hear it cutting through the silence, the sound of air flooding into his mouth and rushing back out. That and the deep thump of his heartbeat pounding against his ears.  
  
Ba-bump  
  
Ba-bump  
  
He didn't "see," but felt. Felt the shapes move closer. His tongue ran lightly over his fangs, tasting blood. The copper taste barely registered in his mind when a piercing shriek rocked his head. It was within him, within his mind. So loud and clashing it was making him insane. He saw red and threw his head, trying to escape the inner noise. In frenzy, he flailed his claws about with deadly accuracy. He felt them barely sink into someone's flesh before he tore away to the next victim. Suddenly, so suddenly, the shriek subsided; his vision began to clear up. He hadn't felt the impact, but now he saw it. An arrow was embedded deep into his chest, taking away his anger as it drained away his blood.  
  
The tangy taste of blood made him sick once his head cleared. He was suddenly thrust back in reality. He saw the trees, the skies, the earth.. the bodies. The pain flooded back to him, making the world spin. What had happened? Looking down, he realized there was a corpse in his arms. His eyes traveled to up to its innate face and he -  
  
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Inu-Yasha yanked the covers back, bolting upright. Sweat poured down his face as he fought to control his uneven breathing, his wildly beating heart. It was just a dream - just a dream, he told himself.  
  
He hated those dreams that nagged at his mind, refusing to give him peace. He knew that when he lost control, he became a full demon, but did he have to dream about the past constantly to caution himself?  
  
By late afternoon, the disturbing dream was still embedded in his thoughts. He dragged himself into the palace's spacious gardens to clear his mind. The feeling of warm flesh and blood ripping apart as his hand drove through them could still be felt. He knew whose corpse it was that he held. It had always been the same, only this was the first time he woke before seeing the face, before feeling the horror that drove through him.  
  
He should be thankful, really, that he didn't have to dream about it again. Maybe he'll eventually stop the dreams altogether. But somehow, the fact that he couldn't exactly be sure of the body in his arms this time disturbed him. Perhaps this time, it wasn't who he thought it was. What if, this time, he killed someone else?  
  
He shook away the foreboding feelings as he found himself in one of his mother's gardens; one that was a sea of white flowers, different kinds of flowers, but all white. He liked to come here when he dreamed. It gave him a sense of peace, like the flowers took away his evil, made him sane again.  
  
He plucked a white rose from one of the bushes, crushing it in his fist. He didn't want to be thinking about the past; about the time he had killed her. [AN: "her" does not refer to his mother.]  
  
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Kagome hummed to herself as she skipped through the palace. Her mood had lightened considerably now. Sango had begun to view her time with Sesshoumaru each afternoon as therapy sessions. It was fun getting to know how to read and she loved it when he read to her while she cleaned his room. His voice was a deep baritone that echoed in her bones.  
  
Skidding along in the hallways, Kagome sometimes wondered if there was anyone living here other than the three demons she knew of: Inutaikou, Sesshoumaru, and Inu-Yasha. Surely there were many servants scurrying around all the time. Yet whenever Kagome went anywhere, the rooms were empty and the corridors clear. The servant's quarters were a different story, though. She had begun viewing the place as home. It was always full and bustling. People scampered in and out of rooms. In the mornings, Kagome would sit with Sango and the rest of the women and men and eat breakfast.  
  
She finally found the opening into the gardens, where she was being sent. Kaede said there would be an important guest that night and that a flower arrangement would be needed. So, Kagome, geared with a huge basket, was sent to the palace gardens to find herself some nice flowers.  
  
She'd never been within the gardens before and her first glimpse awed her. Through the Eastern entrance there was an expanse of Japanese gardens. As far out as she could see, there were trees and flowers, ponds and little bridges, dainty trails and small waterfalls. Following her feet, she eventually came across a huge field of white flowers.  
  
She was so overwhelmed by its beauty that at first she did not see the man feet away from her.  
  
Her breath caught as she stared at the white haired demon before her. It couldn't be Sesshoumaru whose six and a half foot tall body would loom over that of the lord before her. Lord Inutaikyou perhaps? Her eyes traveled to the ears. Ah, the half demon, Lord Inu-Yasha. Kaede had constantly warned her about this member of the demonic family. Not that she needed a warning. The two times she ever met him, he had appeared to be childish, rude, despicably mean, arrogant, good for nothing, loud mouthed, stupid..she could go on, but it would take days to list all his bad traits.  
  
Inu-Yasha breathed in deeply, reassuring himself. Her scent was familiar, but at the same time different. No, she was definitely not Kikyou. He figured she didn't realize his nose had already detected her long before she stepped into the gardens. Was she going to stand there forever and stare at his back? She was rude for a slave. In fact, she was the most infuriating person he ever knew. He'd only met her twice, but both times she had yelled at him! She forgets her place, he thought angrily. He looked down at the white flowers at his feet. Well, perhaps he was also rude to her, but she was still a slave.  
  
Kagome had just decided to slink away without bothering the temperamental demon when he turned around, the scowl already on his face. She wondered if it ever came off or perhaps it was permanently glued in place.  
  
"Woman, what the hell are you doing here?" He asked.  
  
She hadn't come with ill wishes, but that line made her throw away her ideas of making things better between the lord and her. "It's Kagome, not 'woman,' or is your brain too small to remember that?" She ignored the snarl and continued in answer to his question, "I'm here to pick flowers." Lifting her basket for him to see, she smiled sweetly, "Is that alright with you, my lord?"  
  
He watched as she sighed softly and dropped to the ground, her hand disappearing into the sea of flowers. His mind told him to leave it as is, to turn around and get away. His feet refused to listen as they carried him over to where she was. Sitting there a few feet away from her, he crossed his arms across his chest and stared at her hands. They would bury into the white flowers and emerge with a delicate beauty on thin green stems.  
  
She tried not to sigh again when she noticed him sitting crosslegged with her. As the silence stretched on, she felt ready to explode. Be calm, she told herself, he just wants to make me mad.  
  
"Ne," she asked, "Why do you hate me?"  
  
His head snapped up, eyes going from her hands to her face, but she refused to look at him. Hate her? He didn't hate her, why would he?  
  
"What the hell are you blabbing about girl? Why would I hate you?"  
  
"You're always so rude to me."  
  
He fought the urge to yell. "Look, girl, you're a slave. What is wrong with you? You expecting special treatment or something? You serve me, not the other way around." He knew that wasn't it. She was right, he was the one always picking a fight with her. But hell will freeze over before he ever apologizes to a slave.  
  
"Keh," he snorted, "Well, I don't hate you, okay?"  
  
I can't hate you, no matter how hard I try, his mind bit out. That was the truth of it. He should hate her, for her face he should hate her, but he couldn't! That was why he was so rude.  
  
The uncomfortable silence dragged on again.  
  
"Why are you picking flowers?" He asked.  
  
"You hate me for looking like Kikyou, don't you?" She said at the same time.  
  
"What?" His quiet, furious voice asked. He was trying to be nice and she brings up Kikyou? The girl had a death wish, no doubt. White blinding anger spun through his head. Not now, he didn't want to think about her now. Not with the past haunting him just this morning.  
  
"I look like Kikyou, that's why you hate me." She brought her head up, finally looking him square in the face.  
  
"Bitch," he hissed as his eyes made contact with her brown ones, "What the hell have you heard? Who told you this?"  
  
She couldn't look away from his amber eyes, mesmerized by its deep emotion. A turmoil of love and hate. She was suddenly scared; scared of what she was seeing, of what she was digging through. She should have left well enough alone. After all, curiosity killed the cat.  
  
"I - I don't know anything, just that I look like Kikyou."  
  
His hand snaked out and grasped her harshly, curling around the back of her neck as he yanked her to him. He was not going to run from this face forever. He was so sick of her. He hated her. Kikyou, she should have left, should have taken away all her memories. Hate, betrayal, pain, he was sick of it all.  
  
His face was inches from her own. She could feel the prickle of his claws against her neck, his warm breath against her cheek. She began to tremble, her eyes still locked onto his. "Bitch," he snarled, "You better leave it that way."  
  
He stood up suddenly, dropping her. He had to get out of here before he lost control of himself. Goddamn Kikyou for haunting his memories.  
  
"Wait!" Kagome yelled, overcoming her fear momentarily. Her fingers grasped onto his sleeve. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. It was really not my place."  
  
He wretched himself from her grasp, mentally restraining himself from kicking her. "Words," he spat out, "What good are they? Do you even know what that means: to be sorry? Don't insult me with your petty words." His expression faltered and Kagome saw the deep sorrow etched there for a split second. "People never mean what they say."  
  
Kagome was speechless as she looked into his age old face. He wasn't childish, not at all. He was so blatantly mature, so full of sadness, anger, and anguish. She could never understand all his pain. She saw the hurt, the guilt, the despair. She wanted to cry from all that was eating away at him, to cry for all he had to go through, and so she did.  
  
The hot tears spilled over, rolling over her cheeks to splatter against white petals. Inu-Yasha recoiled in shock. Was she crying because he had yelled at her? Because he had hurt her? Why was she crying? He hesitantly knelt down next to her, scared to even touch her. If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was a woman crying.  
  
"H-hey.. d-do-don't cry!" He reached a tentative finger out and poked her quaking shoulders.  
  
"I can't help it!" She choked out, wiping at her tears.  
  
His anger diminished, had been gone the second the wet drops had started forming. "Why?" he demanded, "I'm sorry, okay? Just - just - stop that!"  
  
Kagome laughed. Inu-Yasha stared. Was he really seeing this? She was half choking from her sobs and she was laughing. Was that even physically possible? "I said I was sorry, now please stop, you'll choke to death."  
  
She shook her head, her tears flung about. But at least they had ceased their relentless flow from her eyes. "I'm not crying because of you! I'm crying because - because." she wiped her eyes again, drying them off this time. "Oh - nevermind.."  
  
He stared at her suspiciously, trying to see if she'll burst out in tears again, but she only began picking up flowers and replacing them in her basket. During all that had happened, she had spilled them.  
  
He hesitated again before reaching over and helping her pick up the flowers back up.  
  
"Thank you," she said, smiling at him.  
  
He had never seen her smile before. It transformed her face. Even with her puffy red eyes, the smile worked wonders. The good cheer in her face, the now relaxed atmosphere. He saw something he never noticed before: Kagome. Her face, in all actuality, was completely different from Kikyou's. She was her own person. Inu-Yasha broke into a toothy grin. She wasn't Kikyou, she was Kagome. How could he have been so blind?  
  
"Keh, I just thought you would be exhausted from your breakdown."  
  
She stood up with him and nodded, "Uh huh, okay."  
  
"C'mon," he pointed into the distance, "there are some uh - nice lilacs there."  
  
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Kagome couldn't help grinning as she flounced through the palace with a coughing Sango at her side.  
  
"I'm sick and you haven't stopped smiling. Are you sadistic or something?" Sango muttered as she tried to keep up with her fast pace.  
  
"But Sango, you don't understand. This whole time I thought he was the biggest jerk in the world and he wasn't! And we bonded, I thought that was fantastic, I'm really beginning to like this place. I mean, we don't get abused and the demons don't really mind us."  
  
"That's cuz they have Kaede on our backs. She's worth a million demons considering how she runs the palace with an iron fist."  
  
As the girls passed by a wide open window, Kagome couldn't help but stop. Her eyes honed in on a strange old women. Her hair was long and white, her lips bright, her eyeballs almost protruding from her head. On her back, a long scythe hung there, dangerously glinting in the candlelight.  
  
"Who is that?" Kagome asked Sango as the girl tried to pull her into the shadows.  
  
"You're insane, you know that? We're slaves, not to be seen, get in the shadows."  
  
"Okay, but who is that? The old lady with the scythe?" Kagome shuddered involuntarily. "She creeps me out, to tell you the truth."  
  
Sango shrugged. "Who'd you think you were picking flowers for? That's the Inutaikou's guest for the next few days."  
  
"Hm," Kagome dared another peek into the other room and immediately jumped back. "She - she's staring at me!"  
  
"Yea, well, they ARE demons, they can probably hear us. Let's get out of here, Kagome."  
  
Glancing back at the window one last time, Kagome couldn't shake the feeling that that old woman was.. she couldn't even place her finger on it, but for whatever reason, Kagome could not get the woman out of her head. Ugh, she groaned to herself, of all the people to think about, I had to pick the ugliest looking hag in the room.  
  
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Urasue's eyes swiveled over to the window. She could see with her oddly dark eyes a thin, almost invisible red line coming through. Two of them, she noted on closer examination. Her eyes followed one to the hands of the Inutaikou's first son, the full blooded, regal Sesshoumaru. The second string, she saw, was connected to Inutaikou's second son, Inu-Yasha. Ignoring whatever formalities the Inutaikou was dishing out, she stared intently at the spot which the two threads met. Her close scrutiny paid off as a human girl appeared flittingly in the corner of the wide window.  
  
A grin pulled on the old witch hag's bright red lips. So, she thought lightly, the brothers are bound by fate to battle it out. Breaking out in a light chuckle she couldn't help but think that this would be more fun than she'd had in the past centuries.  
  
"Honored guest," Inutaikou said politely, "Dare I ask what you find amusing?"  
  
"My dear lord," she sneered without meaning to, "You have on your hands a human slave that would prove to be more powerful than even yourself."  
  
And she left it at that, refusing to say anymore about the slave girl.  
  
Indeed, this would prove to be interesting.  
  
:End Chapter 5:  
  
AN: Urasue is the oni-hag that shows up in the 5th and 6th book and the 14th and 15th episode of Inu-Yasha. She's the one that makes the clay bodies. But don't worry if you don't know who she is. She's going to have a different role to play in this story and of course, the next chapter will be devoted to her and her telling of why this story is titled "Fate's Mistake." *grin* The beginning of the chapter, with Inu-Yasha's dream, that will also be explained in due time, but for those of u who have seen the series (which is everyone other than my friends, haha) the beginning describes my interpretation of how Inu-Yasha feels when he turns into a full demon. Still confused? Don't worry, I'll explain as the story progresses.  
  
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Reminder: VOTE FOR PAIRINGS! Inuyasha with Kagome verses Sesshoumaru with Kagome. And a why u chose what you chose would be nice too ^^ 


	6. Understanding

Summary: In a world where demons rule the land and humans are slaves, one family is tied by the strings of fate. But fate's made a mistake that can only be fixed by one human girl.  
  
AN: Sorry this chapter took so long. I was experiencing writer's block. -_- So yea, this ch is shorter and doesn't really flow. Things are uberly choppy and its hard to understand. Sorry all!!  
  
Thank you for all the reviews. You guys make me feel so loved. Rose, waterdragonmaster, Samara chan, and Byte 1000, thx for your reviews and your votes.  
  
April – I definitely agree that fluffy is a lot cuter. Haha, and ur other question I can't answer till later, but very very good observation.  
  
Allegretto/lirpa – thx u too, and lirpa for pushing me to finish this chapter. ^^  
  
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Votes so far:  
  
Sesshoumaru – 3  
  
Inu-Yasha - 2  
  
Vote for either Inu-Yasha and Kagome or Sesshoumaru and Kagome pairings. You can also choose to kill Kagome. ^^  
  
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Declaimer: I don't own Inu-Yasha.  
  
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Fate's Mistake  
Winds of Fortune  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Urasue watched the exchange between Inu-Yasha, Kagome, and Sesshoumaru during dinner that night. The chemistry was definitely there, the red threads that tied them did not lie. Yes, they were destined to fall in love. Now the only problem was that fate made a slight mistake. Urasue would have to take advantage of that. Maybe, if she played her hand well, she could use this opportunity to take over the Western Lands.  
  
Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed as he watched Sango and Kagome serve food out of the corner of his eye. His face remained stoic but he was uncomfortable. Beside him, Inu-Yasha shifted a little and he could see that Kagome was flashing his half brother a bright smile. It annoyed him that Kagome had obviously gotten closer to his brother since the last time he saw their encounter.  
  
When the two humans had finished and departed, Sesshoumaru managed to figure out what was bothering him. He, Lord Sesshoumaru, was jealous. The new revelation seemed so foreign to him that he almost dropped his chopsticks in shock. He gripped the sticks in his hand and as nonchalantly as he could, brought his eyes up. His brother had not noticed the slight fumble, nor had his father. It was Urasue, the witch hag, that had seen it. Her bulging eyes met his after their fixed stare at his hand. Her red lips pulled into a smile.  
  
He decided to ignore her. Whatever it was she thought, she'd never in a million years guess that his composure had slipped because he was jealous.  
  
Sesshoumaru had been jealous only once before but that was different. That time, he had tolerated the intrusion and eventually forgot about his jealousy. That was the old days when he first met Jaken.  
  
------------------------------------ Sixty plus years ago  
  
Sesshoumaru pushed his hair out of his face. He had left Rin for a little while, checking ahead for youkai because he didn't want to endanger Rin during a fight. The wind was blowing hard and for a split second, his nose lost the scent of Rin. His head flashed in the direction where Rin should be, his eyes straining to see between the trees. He felt blind without her scent, and decided he had to go back. In that moment, something could have happened to her.  
  
Sure enough, when he found her again, she was being assaulted. Or more like she was assaulting someone else. Sesshoumaru watched the scene before him, slightly amused. A green toad like demon was yelping as the little human girl chased after him, hitting his head.  
  
"What are you doing?" Sesshoumaru asked, lacing his voice with ice as he glared down at the tiny demon.  
  
Rin stopped attacking the thing and ran up to clutch onto Sesshoumaru's pant leg. "Lord Sesshoumaru! Jaken was playing with me."  
  
Sesshoumaru's eyebrow rose delicately. "Jaken?" He looked down at the raven haired girl and then shifted his gaze to the swirly eyed toad demon that sported multiple bumps on his head. "Playing?"  
  
"Well, he started it!" Rin tried to explain.  
  
The white haired youkai processed what she said. Does that mean that this toad named Jaken had hit his Rin? His hand reached down, grasping the green demon and slamming him into a tree. The impact was enough to somehow wake it from its stupor and it noted the glowering demon before him. "You – you're Lord Sesshoumaru! From the Western Lands!" Jaken squeaked.  
  
Sesshoumaru dropped the taod. After it bounced painfully on the dirt ground, it scrambled to bow at the towering demon. "Forgive this lowly demon, Jaken, my Lord Sesshoumaru. This incompetent fool did not know the human was Lord Sesshoumaru's property."  
  
He turned back to his Rin, disgusted. "He did not harm you?" he asked in an indifferent voice.  
  
Rin shook her head, her little hand gripping the cloth of his clothes. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes briefly, willing himself to calm down and stop jumping to conclusions. As long as Rin wasn't hurt, it was okay. He turned back to the groveling demon named Jaken with a cold, "Leave."  
  
The affect of that one word was shocking. Jaken toppled over, pounding the ground with his fists. "No," he wailed, "Lord Sesshoumaru, don't make me go back to that Lord Naraku. He'll have my head if I don't return with a slave. Please, allow me to stay with your holy self!"  
  
Sesshoumaru groaned inwardly, he did not need a clingy follower right now. After all, he had basically run away from home. If Rin were not there, he would have kicked the thing and ended its misery by crushing its scull. Instead, he spun around, pointing his feet into the opposite direction of the toad demon. "Rin, let's go."  
  
But Rin turned her great big eyes on him and said the words that would throw all his thoughts out the window. "Oh, Lord Sesshoumaru, please let Jaken stay with us."  
  
He almost scoffed in disbelief. Jaken shows up for less than five minutes and already, Rin was defending him. "Rin, you –"He stared at Jaken who was sputtering some thanks, unable to finish his sentence, unsure of what it was he wanted to say.  
  
"Lord Sesshoumaru, don't be a meanie." She pouted, crouching down next to Jaken.  
  
"I –"He stopped again, eyes betraying his surprise. Now she'd managed to make him look like the bad guy. Only she could do this to him, confuse him like this. He who was always so sure of things, so definite in his decisions. But then he knew that he could not deny her anything. She had but to ask and he would walk to hell and back for her. She was so pure and untainted by the world. That was why something seemed to squeeze his heart when she said that. She'd never said anything like that to him before. Was he angered? A little; angry that she should accuse him of such a thing for an ugly toad. He turned back to his intended direction. "Let's go, then." Truly, he could not deny her anything.  
  
Rin held out a hand to the small demon. "Come on, Jaken, want to go with us?"  
  
Jaken turned his huge tearing eyes on Sesshoumaru's back and jumped up to follow. Together, the trio walked off some random forest path.  
  
---------------------------------- Back to Present  
  
Sesshoumaru smiled softly, remembering how he resented having to share Rin's childish affections. He learned to tolerate Jaken, learned to trust him. He would leave Jaken to insure Rin's safety. They had been an odd trio, living together in harmony, so devoid of worries. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, blocking out the pain that suddenly seared through him. Thinking back on the happy days always made him feel the pain of his loss more heavily. He hoped that one day he would be able to erase all that, so that he wouldn't have to remember Rin's grin and silver voice without remembering the day he lost her.  
  
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Kagome bowed a little nervously before the wide eyed demon. "You called for me, Lady Urasue?"  
  
Urasue had sought out the human eagerly on the second day of her visit, asking Kaede to arrange a meeting with the girl. She cackled eagerly now, placing her long scythe next to her and arranging her long flowing kimono around her. "Girl, I'm going to jump right into this so listen carefully. Every human is attached by a red string that ties one to his or her 'soul mate.' That is someone a person is destined to fall in love with. Every human is the result of a reincarnation. Souls are basically shared. When someone dies, the same soul is reborn with a new touch so that the new person is different in essence. That is where the term 'soul mates' comes from."  
  
The human nodded uncertainly. "Okay, so I am a reincarnation of someone from the past and I have a red string tying me to someone whom I'm fated to fall in love with." She recited back.  
  
The demon cackled again. "Wrong. Dearie, you see, you're a special case. You don't have just one string tied to you, you have two. You're not the result of not one reincarnation, but of two. Do you see? You are two people."  
  
Kagome stared at the witch. "I can't be two people, and so what if I am? Why are you telling me this?"  
  
"You're the reincarnation of two people. You're to fall in love with two different people. Fate made a mistake that can't be fixed. Do you understand the extent of fate's mistake?"  
  
Kagome rubbed a hand over her eyes, confused as to what Urasue was trying to say. "Okay, but how do you know?"  
  
"I see the strings of fate because I am a demon witch."  
  
"Then, you can tell me who it is I'm destined to fall in love with?"  
  
"Yes, but I don't know if that would be wise. Here's the deal, no matter what, the two will come to love you. It is fated. But you can change that. I am offering you a choice. My stay at the Inutaikou's palace will last three days. Tomorrow I will leave but in two months time, I will return. When I come back, I can give you the choice of extracting a soul from your body and giving at least one person happiness."  
  
Urasue grinned. Either way, she would be able to control that soul once it was extracted. If she controlled the loved one of Inutaikou's beloved sons, then in essence, she had already gained control of his lands. She had a flawless plan that nobody would know about.  
  
Kagome shook her head. "I don't understand. Why do I have to give up my soul? Why can't I just choose? Why does it all matter?"  
  
Urasue pursed her lips. "If you do that, you're basically subduing one soul. It is hard to explain. But if you were to choose a love, then the other would be lost. Not lost forever, but the string would be cut and the two souls will have to live through centuries of time before that string can be repaired again."  
  
Kagome stared at her hands. She had the power of basically ruining one person's life. But.. could she not love for herself? Was it selfish for her to want love for herself? She closed her eyes. "Will you.. tell me who I am to fall in love with?"  
  
Urasue studied the human in front of her. If fate had already decided, it wouldn't really matter if she knew or not, would it? She shrugged, might as well talk since she was giving the girl an overview of her love life. "You will fall in love with the demon brothers, Inu-Yasha and Sesshoumaru."  
  
She left it at that, rising and exiting the room, not bothering to see the reaction of the human. The girl was unimportant, a mere pawn in this game of chess. In two months time, she'll take over everything the Inutaikou deems precious. The girl was really quite a find. Urasue cackled as she glided down the halls in amusement.  
  
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Blood red painted his mind. His primal senses were switched on as he stared blindly into nothingness. He could smell the blood and it drove him mad. He didn't care, didn't think. He didn't have to think, his mind would be his sanctuary. Forget about everything else. Forget about humans, demons. He sank to the floor, his claws digging into the soft dirt as his throat emitted a low growl. Something was coming for him. Or was he going for it? What did it matter, all he knew was that his claws screamed for blood. He could hear it in his mind. The piercing shriek, it rocked his senses. His breath came out fast and shallow. His tongue ran across his teeth and he turned as he felt the oncoming assault.  
  
It was his turn. He would hunt now, and he would make her his.  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
Inu-Yasha, threw himself out of bed, springing to his feet, clutching his head in his hands. My gods, his brain thought frantically over and over again. With a cry of outrage, he smashed the first thing he got his hands on, a vase of lilacs. Swinging around, he slammed his fist into the clay shards. The pain registered in a little corner of his mind and he finally allowed himself to crouch down by the wall, hugging his legs to his chest.  
  
Ba-bump  
  
Ba-bump  
  
It was the dream again; it drove him mad, made him crazy. When he woke, he always felt like he was there again, back in the past. It was happening more and more often. This goddamned dream. Fuck the past, fuck everything, he cursed in his mind.  
  
Fuck it all..  
  
He hadn't meant to kill her.  
  
So why won't the past just leave him alone?  
  
"Inu-Yasha?"  
  
He cursed, he had been so crazed he hadn't smelled her, hadn't felt her come in. Damn damn damn! He thought. He lifted his head, quickly sweeping the broken vase and the flowers under his table.  
  
"What do you want, girl? Don't you ever knock?" He growled out, immediately regretting it. He shouldn't take out his anger on her. She just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.  
  
Kagome's eyes were hooded, as she glanced at the clearly distraught half demon. She was supposed to love him? She knew it was more than possible.  
  
"I heard some – er – noises." She said sheepishly. Her eyes fell on the drops of blood on the floor and then saw his hand. "Inu-Yasha! Your hand!"  
  
He quickly hid it behind his back. "It's nothing, stupid girl. Don't worry about it."  
  
But she wasn't listening. In fact, she was gone.  
  
What the hell, he thought angrily. It wouldn't have hurt to be even a little worried about him.  
  
He almost laughed out loud when she returned in a few minutes, clutching some bandages. He was way too jumpy lately.  
  
"Look, woman, forget about the hand." She wasn't listening as usual, grabbing his hand and pulling out the bandage. "What the hell are you doing?"  
  
"You're hand is bleeding, what do you think I'm doing?" She bit out, wrapping his hand in the white fabric.  
  
He shook his head at her stupidity. "The thing'll heal; I don't need your help."  
  
She groaned at his stubbornness. "Just shut up you idiot and let me bandage your hand."  
  
The second she was finished with the job, he yanked his hand back again, growling, "Keh, whatever."  
  
But he was glad that she had been there. Even after she left, he felt her presence. She had shown up and taken away all his anger. Carefully unwrapping the bandages she had put on him, he inspected his hand. It had already healed; the cuts from the broken vase gone. "Keh," he murmured, "Stupid girl."  
  
:End Chapter 6:  
  
AN: did I mention that this chapter sux? Sorry again. ^^  
  
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Reminder: VOTE FOR PAIRINGS! Inuyasha with Kagome verses Sesshoumaru with Kagome. And a why u chose what you chose would be nice too ^^ 


	7. Avoidance

Summary: In a world where demons rule the land and humans are slaves, one family is tied by the strings of fate. But fate's made a mistake that can only be fixed by one human girl.  
  
AN: First of all, I'm so sorry this chapter took so long to update and its still so short. -_- Writers block is a writers worst enemy. I hope this chap is alright tho, because I was confused as to what to write. I spent many days staring at the comp screen trying to dig up a story. Whew, glad this is done with. Again, so sorry for the long wait! I swear I try never to wait this long to write a chappie.  
  
Thanks to my reviewers: Kousagi-chan, Fire Kitsune, Samara-chan, and LadyYome. You guys are like a super support system that keeps me going when I have no motivation. Thanks for your reviews, they really do mean a lot to me. You have no idea. ^^  
  
Thank you yoitzjgirl and Allegretto! You guys rock!  
  
Clow Angel – you are such an awesome reviewer! Thx for searching for me or whatnot. Thx for supporting me. Thx for reading me weirdo fic. ^^ Thanks for everything!!  
  
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Votes so far:  
  
Sesshoumaru – 7  
  
Inu-Yasha – 3  
  
Kagome dying - 2  
  
Vote for either Inu-Yasha and Kagome or Sesshoumaru and Kagome pairings. You can also choose to kill Kagome. ^^  
  
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Declaimer: I don't own Inu-Yasha.  
  
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Fate's Mistake  
Winds of Fortune  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Hiss, went the cat, its twin tails twitching in the air. Kagome drummed her fingers on the floor as the yellow kitty pounced on them, claws carefully retracted.  
  
"Kirara," Kagome murmured, tickling the demon cat under the chin. Kirara blinked her gigantic red eyes up at the human. "Isn't love so bothersome?" The kitty cocked her head slightly to the side before letting a small meow escape her. Kagome sighed. "You're absolutely right. I'm being silly."  
  
"Do you always talk to yourself?"  
  
She spun around sharply, her black hair whipping around as she scowled at the intruder. "Idiot, don't scare me like that!"  
  
"Isn't that what you always do to me? Creep up from behind and just stare at me?"  
  
Kagome huffed, turning a little red, "I – I do not!"  
  
She turned away from the doorway, picking up Kirara and cradling the soft kitty to her neck, when he didn't answer.  
  
Inu-Yasha stood there against the wooden frame of the door, watching the human's back. After a long time, he sucked in some air and asked what he came to ask. "Have you been avoiding me?" It wasn't that he cared or anything, but the absence of her scent bothered him. It was just different, not seeing the stupid girl all over the place. The palace was definitely not the same without the annoying human to bicker with.  
  
Kagome carefully tucked a lock of hair behind her ears and placed Kirara on the floor, letting the cat scamper away. "I – I've been doing no such thing."  
  
Inu-Yasha took a step closer to her, willing her to turn around. Why can't she face him while she's speaking? "Kagome," his voice sounded rough even to himself. He paused a little and was curiously satisfied to see her turn her head a fraction toward his direction. "You.. you really haven't then?"  
  
Her face was red now, she never was good at lying. But she decided there was one weapon she could use against him that would never in a million years work with Sesshoumaru. "What, did you miss me?"  
  
It was amazing how predictive the hanyou was. He drew himself up, scoffing a little. "Hah! You wish. I was just thinking how the place actually seemed really clean now, compared to the mess some klutz used to always make."  
  
She turned to him now, seeing that, as she had predicted, his nose was stuck high in the air, his arms folded in front of him. She let a chuckle escape her lips. "Thanks."  
  
He noticed the strange tone of voice she was using. Dropping his arms, he took another step toward her. "Kagome, are you okay?"  
  
"What are you talking about?" She scowled at him.  
  
"Well, you're just going to let me call you a klutz."  
  
She smiled, though it looked pained, and nodded vigorously. It was all so fake, even he, the insensitive Inu-Yasha, could see through it.  
  
He plucked himself down on the floor of her dinky little room. "So, this is where you live." He sniffed importantly, "It's awfully small." There was a long pause, yet again. To Inu-Yasha, it was awkward. He could never stand the silence. He exploded suddenly, yelling at her, "Just what is wrong with you?!"  
  
Kagome, looked down at her hands. "Uh.. can I ask you a personal question?" She waited nervously for his answer. But she really had to ask, she really needed to know.  
  
Inu-Yasha's eyes narrowed. "What kind of question?"  
  
"Will you tell me about Kikyou?"  
  
He shot to his feet so fast, Kagome saw him as a blur. "Wait!" She cried out, "I'm – I really have to know. I'm not prying, I swear. Will you please tell me?"  
  
He glared down at her. He knew he should, but strangely enough, he felt nothing. He didn't feel the usual anger that cascaded through him when he thought of Kikyou. He didn't feel a need to destroy anything and everything around him. For some strange reason, he was completely calm. It was as though he had stepped through some barrier and ended up in someone's dream. "There's nothing to say."  
  
But he told her anyway.  
  
---------------------------  
  
The sky was amazing in that time of year. All clear crystalline blue without a drop of cloud anywhere. When the sun set, it was like watching a gigantic rainbow paint itself across the horizon. The leaves turn bright red, casting a golden hue all about. Inu-Yasha watched the human beside him. They weren't really doing anything, just sitting there and staring out in the distance. It was one of those times when he wondered why humans enjoy sitting around and doing nothing.  
  
She turned to him and smiled ever so slightly, enjoying sitting there with him.  
  
He would watch the sun set with her everyday just to see her so content. Sure, he thought it was stupid, but heck, he'd go to the ends of the world to make her smile.  
  
"Let us go back, my lord Inu-Yasha." She said; her voice soft like it always was.  
  
He didn't tell her he loved her. He didn't say how much he enjoyed being with her. He didn't let her know how he would die for her. He nodded, and stood with her to return to the palace.  
  
In her presence, he always felt like a child. She was so mature, so beautiful, so sure of everything. He was crashing blindly through life while she had such utter control of it. It wasn't really love, was it? Perhaps, just admiration.  
  
He walked her to the servant's quarters of the palace. She bowed to him, and turned to walk away, but his hand reached out, and pulled her back to him and into his embrace. She was surprised, no doubt, at the gentle arms that encircled her. For a moment, he just stared down at her perfect face. Then his head lowered and for the briefest moment, their lips touched. They stood there for a very long time, just feeling the presence of one another. That was when she told him she loved him. He breathed her scent in, drowning himself in it, memorizing its every aspect. He felt so calm, so peaceful, so at ease with her. Perhaps, this truly was love. Gently, she pulled out of his arms, and bowing again, she left.  
  
A week later, his father decided to bring his life crashing down around him.  
  
"Inu-Yasha, I realize that you have grown close to the human by the name of Kikyou," his father had said gravely, "so it pains me to tell you that we will be offering her to Lord Naraku of the Southern Lands."  
  
He froze and everything else in the world seemed to freeze with him. Was it possible that his father would do this to him? Would he have to watch Kikyou leave him?  
  
"Son, I know how –"  
  
"You have no fucking idea."  
  
He'd crossed the line with the smart choice of language, but his father, surprisingly, ignored him.  
  
"Why are you giving our slave to Naraku?" Inu-Yasha lashed out. He was confused, lost, unsure.  
  
"To keep the peace. He had his sights on the slave girl Kikyou and refused to accept any other in her place." The Inutaikou reached a hand out to his youngest son, but Inu-Yasha rudely backed away from it. "I am sorry. I tried to dissuade him, but could not."  
  
Inu-Yasha ran. His feet carried him out of his father's meeting room, down the halls and corridors, past surprised servants, and finally out into the open air. "Damn, damn, damn," he repeated over and over again. Damnit, the world was conspiring against him. Did no one care? Hadn't he spent his entire childhood being teased and bullied around? Hadn't he already suffered enough? Inu-Yasha had thought that his father would understand. He thought his father loved him. But what the fuck was love? His father didn't care about his sons. In the end, it was always work before family.  
  
Damnit.  
  
"My lord?"  
  
He looked at her as she walked up to him. Looked at her hard, trying to find some fault to her.  
  
"So you have heard of the news?" Kikyou asked lightly.  
  
How could she be so calm now? His mind faltered. Does she really love him? "Why are you so calm? Does this not bother you?"  
  
She suddenly threw her head back and laughed. It sounded strange coming from her. He hadn't thought about it, but he had actually never heard her laugh before. It was a sinister laugh, not at all like the purity he always saw in her. In fact, there was something about her that seemed changed. "Hanyou, why should it bother me?"  
  
He saw what he wanted to see, a beautiful face that looked like she loved him, but he knew what it really was. So suddenly he saw her and she did not look so beautiful. The mask fell away and all that was left was her porcelain white skin, and her unfeeling eyes. She never loved him. She couldn't love him. "You –"  
  
"I don't love you, I never loved you, I will never love you. It does not bother me." She smiled at him as though he were a child. "I'm going to live with Lord Naraku now, and he is the one I love."  
  
This was not happening, Inu-Yasha's mind screamed out. This could not be happening. It was a bad dream, a nightmare. Everything – impossible! Everything fell out of place. It was as though in the few moments he had had to process the information of Kikyou leaving, chaos broke through. She was crazy, she wasn't in the right state of mind, she was hurting him unnecessarily.. she was – she was everything he thought he ever wanted. Was he wrong? Had he been wrong?  
  
She smiled bitterly at him. "Sorry, my lord, I guess we weren't meant to be."  
  
He drew away from her. Stepping back, almost tripping over his feet in his haste to get away from her. "Do not call me that," he hissed out painfully, "I am no more your lord than you are my slave."  
  
Don't call me anything anymore.  
  
He was running again, from everyone. He'd always been running, always trying to escape the world, to escape reality. His eyes squeezed shut and to his horror, tears fell from them. It was his human side, getting all worked up. He never should have allowed himself to get close to a human. He was weak, just like Sesshoumaru always told him. Feeling is a sign of weakness. He needed to hurt something, he needed to do some damage. He needed to feed this sudden hunger for violence. He'd been passive for too long. He'd been passive for Kikyou for much too long.  
  
What a fool he'd been. He thought as he ran from everything.  
  
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Inu-Yasha was surprised to find that Kagome had somehow ended up cradling him. She was crying, another shocker, and rocking him back and forth. He stopped talking, not wanting to reveal anymore. "I can't say anymore, maybe in the future, but not now." He added, "And why are you crying?"  
  
Throughout his retelling, he had not felt anything. Though it seemed like slowly the feeling was creeping back into him. It was as though he went numb for a while. He felt relieved and drained.  
  
"I'm crying for you." She answered. Her head rested on his white one as her tears slid down. How much he had to suffer through. She could understand now why Inu-Yasha had hated her so much at first glance. If she resembled the girl from the past, no wonder Inu-Yasha hated her. No wonder his eyes sparked and his fists clenched every time someone mentioned her name. "I'm so sorry. So sorry you had to go through all that."  
  
Inu-Yasha scowled. He didn't mind being hugged by Kagome, as shocking as that was, but he didn't like all this pity he was getting from her. "It's not that big of a deal. I've already survived it." He pushed her away from him, finally, exasperated. "Look, its okay, alright? Don't pity me. I don't need your pity."  
  
He pulled away from her. One second he was calm, the next he felt suffocated. Time to get away from her, his mind said. And he was out the door.  
  
"Hey!" Kagome called, but he was already gone. She leapt to her feet and followed in hot pursuit. A guy does not just spill his heart and then run away. Perhaps he needed some privacy, some time alone, her mind tried to reason. No, she wasn't going to let him get away after saying that. She didn't know what she wanted from him, but she was definitely going to have a nice long chat with him.  
  
If she had to decide who to fall in love with, she hoped she could help mend some hearts while she's at it.  
  
Her headlong flight down the marble corridors was halted as a hand snatched out of nowhere and grabbed her.  
  
"!!!" She couldn't even scream, her voice muffled by the hand that had snaked around her and was gripping her mouth tightly. She was yanked unceremoniously into a room as another arm curled around her waist and kept her locked there.  
  
Her eyes flitted around the dark room in fear.  
  
Great, just great, now she was going to be kidnapped on top of all her worries.  
  
:End Chapter 7:  
  
AN: o.O I tried. -_- I was so lost as to what to write. I hope this is okay. 


	8. Naivete

Summary: In a world where demons rule the land and humans are slaves, one family is tied by the strings of fate. But fate's made a mistake that can only be fixed by one human girl.  
  
*** In the last chapter *** Inu-Yasha spills his heart to Kagome but then runs away.  
  
AN: This chapter is bad. I can't say much else about it. I received a review from someone that commented on the path my story is taking, so I'm trying to use the advice given to me. But the problem is, how do u undo something that has already built up for seven chapters? So, I had to try to spin in something different. That is why this chapter is very abrupt and displaced from the rest. Yea, that one review really messed up everything I had planned. And for a while I just considered deleting the story, but then it would be disappointing for me. So I wrote this chapter anyway. I'm sorry if its crappy. -_- But I felt I should probably post it anyway, other than leaving everyone hanging.  
  
~~~~ Thx to my reviewers ~~~~ LadyYome, lirpa, Kousagi-chan, Clow Angel, dreamertwin, Samara-chan, and Eternal Cosmos. Thank you guys for all the support. ^^  
  
Rured: Thx for ur review. I thought a lot about what you said. And to tell you the truth, I originally planned it to be that way, but then angst is so hard to write -_- so the story change by itself. Anyway, I'm trying to change it back, and to use ur advice. I'm sorry this story hasn't been satisfactory -_- I'm trying. ^^ Thank you for the review, again, I really appreciate all the advice you gave me.  
  
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Votes so far:  
  
Sesshoumaru – 11  
  
Inu-Yasha – 4  
  
Kagome dying - 2  
  
Vote for either Inu-Yasha and Kagome or Sesshoumaru and Kagome pairings. You can also choose to kill Kagome. ^^  
  
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Declaimer: I don't own Inu-Yasha.  
  
--------------------------  
  
Fate's Mistake  
Winds of Fortune  
  
Chapter 8  
  
His mind shut down. He hadn't realized it before, but he had become soft. There were times when he felt ruthless, like he could run his claws through every living soul and not bat an eye, and then there were times when he saw Kagome. It infuriated him that such a slave could affect him like this. She was a slave. A slave meant to serve and to obey.  
  
He stared down at his hand with its smooth strong claws and velvet skin. Tracing a claw down the side of his face, he blinked into the darkness of his room. He had spent weeks cooped up in his room, weeks waiting around for that slave. He'd been a fool. He had not even noticed his skills diminishing, his strengths leaving him, his mask almost slipping away.  
  
He pressed the single finger hard against his face and drew a thin line of blood. The slippery warmth of the blood seeped out for mere seconds before the skin healed again. He brought the finger to his mouth and tasted his own blood.  
  
He would be a fool no longer. Urasue was wrong when the witch sought him out. She was wrong to say that he had become weak because of the slave girl. He would show her and the rest of the household that he had not grown soft. He had not become attached, he had not begun to feel for the girl, he had not given her privileges not known to slaves.  
  
Should there be a day that he had to kill Kagome, he would not hesitate to do so.  
  
His mind faltered for just a split second, but already he was doubting himself. Could he? Of course, for he was Lord Sesshoumaru. No human would tie him down. No slave would be free of his wraith.  
  
He heard his brother race past. Curiosity getting the best of him, he was at the door in less than a second. His nose caught a whiff of salty tears. Speak of the devil. Kagome. Was the fool crying for his idiot brother? Sure enough, the slave came bounding out of a corner, running down the hall. She could not see him because he was hidden in the shadows of his darkened room. The fool girl. He snatched out at her as she passed his door, his hand clamping over her mouth none too gently, pulling her into him in one swift move.  
  
He didn't know what he intended to do, but now that he had her here, he had to do something.  
  
"Slaves," he hissed into her ear, sensing the immediate shock that ran through her, "are not to be heard."  
  
It was dark in his room, but he could see her fairly well, her eyes wide open in confusion. He did not allow her time to think, pushing her away from him harshly. She stumbled from the force, crashing into the wall a little.  
  
"Sesshoumaru! What-"  
  
Urasue was right, the slave did not know her place. And he had done nothing to fix that.  
  
His hand lashed out, smacking her in the face with enough strength to draw blood, to throw her head in one direction, to cause her to lose her footing again. "It's Lord," he said, his voice void of emotions as she fell to the floor, "Lord Sesshoumaru."  
  
His eyes were dull. His hands lay working on their own. His feet following their own path. He was hurting her with his claws, his harsh hand. But he did not see it, did not really want to see it.  
  
--"You have never laid a hand on her. You are too soft. You would not even kill her if asked to do so."  
  
He had watched her silently, fuming. What was she playing at?  
  
"Could you do it? Would you be able to?" Urasue grinned at him. "You have grown weak. I am disappointed in the heir to the Western Lands."  
  
He was the perfect assassin, the stealthiest of thieves, the most beautiful among creatures, the epitome of perfection, and she dared to taunt him.  
  
His face stilled, all hint of emotion fleeing from it. His voice was a black hole, as blank as oblivion. "I have nothing to prove to you. Do you think I will fall for such an obvious trap? Keep in mind that it is you who are the guest. YOU are on MY territory." --  
  
Her thin neck was between his hands. She chocked, grappling at them, clawing at his skin, anything to get the demon to free his grip. Just when Kagome thought her eyes would surely pop from the pressure, he released her, letting her fall a foot from the ground. Gasping in the much needed air, she trempled, trying to wipe the streaming tears, to sooth the burning pain from both her heart and her wounds. Her breath came out ragged. "My lord, please forgive whatever this lowly slave has done."  
  
Could you do it?  
  
He stared at her changed state. She was crumpled on the floor before him, devoid of all her fight and willpower. Crumbled there like a fallen rose, in all her glory, in all her anguish, in all her of broken state.  
  
Would you be able to?  
  
His hand lashed out again, even though he mentally told himself to stop. The dull crack of his hand against her skull resounded slightly before it was drowned out by the sound of her body colliding with the wooden floor.  
  
I have nothing to prove to you.  
  
He closed his eyes. What was he doing all this for? His eyes opened again, this time as narrowed slits. This was to distance himself, to make himself stronger. He would never be weak like his hanyou brother. He would never be weak like his father. He would not hesitate to distribute the much needed discipline to the household slaves.  
  
"Get out," he said in an even tone, turning away from the broken form on the floor of his room. Go run to that idiot brother of mine, his mind added.  
  
Kagome felt numb all over. It was the shock, she told herself, the shock of seeing him strike her. Sesshoumaru.. "My lord," she cried out softly, pleadingly, hoping she would not offend him when he was unstable, "why – why are you-"  
  
"Do not make me repeat myself."  
  
Kagome blinked back her tears. He had changed, this demon before her. She had been so wrong to think he would be different. She had been such an idiot. Demons could not feel, could never feel. She should not have assumed so much. Her visage slipped into a dead pan look. Her voice, though still a little quivery, was dead as well. She felt her spirit leave her, and willingly let it go. "Yes, my lord." And she painfully departed.  
  
Long after she was gone, Sesshoumaru looked down at his palm. Despicable human, he thought. She had blinded him for so long. He would not be so stupid now.  
  
Could you do it?  
  
He fought the urge to scoff. Who did the witch hag think he was? He was Lord Sesshoumaru, the most powerful demon second to his father. He could end his strange relationship with that human in a heartbeat.  
  
But then what was that strange feeling that felt like his heart was being clenched in his own claws?  
  
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Her dull grey, unblinking eyes stared out, not really seeing anything. Before her, the sun set. It was a red disk, sunk halfway into the vast mountains of lush green forest. It spread its fingers to the farthest corners of the skies, bringing color and light where it went, and gently pulling them back, pulling them with it as it slipped over the edge. In the distance, a solitary bird chirped its last goodbye, a single note that was lost into the abyss..  
  
His eyes had been an intense amber, shining brightly in the darkness.  
  
His skin, even in his violence, has felt as smooth as rose petals.  
  
His face was like an antique mask, beautifully carved out yet on the verge of cracking.  
  
Her hands gently touched her neck, feeling the bruise there. It had hurt. That he would become everything she deemed demons to be had hurt. She felt betrayed. She felt.. foolish. The silent tears slid one after the other, gliding along her skin to collect at her chin before splattering into her lap. Kagome did not move. She wanted to die.  
  
She had spent so long, too long, traveling from place to place. Too long had she been caged up and abused. She felt like she should be different; felt like she deserved better. But the years of training, of being a slave, of the status she was born into, of the status which she was because of her soft skin and short life, had all come back to her.  
  
She was a slave, meant to serve. The demonic household had given her too much freedom. Lord Sesshoumaru was right to discipline her. He had a right, for she belonged to him. She was his to punish, his to use, his to kill. Her life was in his hands.  
  
Tired lids laden down with thick lashes closed over the tear filled grey eyes. But it hurt so much. Her face welcomed the warm lather of salty tears.  
  
She thought he cared; thought that he understood her.  
  
Stupid, he's a demon for heaven's sake, what'd you expect?  
  
Her mind battled back weakly, He's different! He's.. kind.  
  
Like hell.  
  
- The angry red welts were crusted with blood. It felt like sand crumbling beneath her fingers. Her hands swept over them, marveling at the ugly, marred wounds, at the pale cold body that sported them. -  
  
What had she done wrong? Why had he turned on her?  
  
A soft escaped her mouth, and her hand flew up to clamp tightly over it.  
  
She hoped that one day she'd find the strength to pick up the scattered pieces of her heart.  
  
Between the pain of the two brothers, Kagome wondered if she could survive.  
  
For Inu-Yasha, she wanted to reach out and help him, but always he lashed out at her, pushing her away. For Sesshoumaru, he had taken her spirit, and he had crushed it in his very hands.  
  
It was her punishment. She deserved it. They were right to treat her so. She was but a slave.  
  
A slave meant to serve and to obey.  
  
---------------------------  
  
"Sister, why don't we rebel?"  
  
He'd always been so naive.  
  
"Because we are weak, Souta."  
  
He'd always questioned the ways like any young slave did.  
  
"Why are we weak?"  
  
He'd always been in danger because of his outspoken ways.  
  
"Because we are only human."  
  
Kagome reached a hand out to her little brother, and gently pulled him along with her. Since the death of their mother, he had grown. He had changed. In the past, his innocent questions were nothing to worry about. Now, those same questions were accompanied by darkened eyes and stubborn, set frowns. He meant what he said, and she could do nothing to save him from his thoughts.  
  
"Souta, let us go tend the gardens." She said, pulling him with her.  
  
Souta, a permanent scowl etched in place, looked at his sister. "Why do we follow their every orders?"  
  
Kagome sighed. "Do not ask me such questions. You know the answer. It is because we are human, because they rule over us. Because should we rebel, we will only be ripped to shreds, scattered for the birds to feed upon. We are easily replaced, and the demons do not care if we die."  
  
His hard eyes glittered with malice. He refused to listen to her these days. Ever since their mother passed away, he had drawn away from her. Kagome sighed again, and continued on her way to the gardens.  
  
"I hate being human."  
  
She looked in surprise at her brother. "Souta, what are you saying?"  
  
But he wouldn't say anymore, only squatting down beside her to help her pull out the weeds.  
  
She should have known that his young teenage mind would wander. She should have known what he had been thinking. She should have tried to save him from his thoughts.  
  
It had been night time when it happened. It was still dark when her father hurriedly shook her awake. "Kagome! Kagome, wake up. Hurry, let's go."  
  
She rolled out of bed, immediately wide awake. "Father, what is it?"  
  
She couldn't see his face in the darkness, only the strange glitter of his eyes in the moonlight. "It is Souta."  
  
She ignored the sharp coldness of the night air, and quickly followed her father out of their newly built house. She felt the cold hard ground beneath her toes and ran, as though running from what she was to find out.  
  
"Father, what -?"  
  
He stopped suddenly, the moon outlining his still form. She watched him apprehensively, confused, bewildered, scared.  
  
"There," he pointed and she went to the crumpled mass on the floor. A soft cry escaped her lips as she realized what lay before her. She crouched down, reaching a hand out to the strangely illuminated body of her brother. The angry red welts were crusted with blood. It felt like sand crumbling beneath her fingers. Her hands swept over them, marveling at the ugly, marred wounds, at the pale cold body that sported them.  
  
"He was always questioning his position," her father choked out from behind her.  
  
Her brother..  
  
"How? What happened?" She questioned, a little hysterically. Her hands found his neck, and desperately pressed her fingers there, searching for a pulse.  
  
"He tried to kill our Lord Naraku."  
  
The fool.  
  
She blinked at the tears that were frozen in place.  
  
Souta.  
  
"Idiot," she said to the bloodied corpse at her feet, "I told you, I told you a million times we were only human. I told you we were too weak. I told you we would never be able to rebel." She yelled at him, letting all the anger pour out with her words. "Why are you always so stupid! Why can't you listen to me? Why must you always be so stubborn?"  
  
She cried out, "Why did you have to die?"  
  
First their mother, and now Souta.  
  
"What happened?" She asked, staring at the cold opened eyes of her brother.  
  
"Lord Naraku," Her father said, "he beat him. That was all. Just, picked him up and beat him."  
  
Someone walked out of the darkness. Kagome and her father dropped softly to the ground in a low bow.  
  
"Lord Naraku, forgive my son for his ignorance." Her father said to the ground.  
  
Kagome didn't dare raise her eyes to look at the man who murdered her brother. She stared at the cold dirt ground, and all she could really see were flashes of her mother, of her brother, and the two seemed to be one. A pair of feet stepped quietly in front of her. A pair of cold slender fingers curled around her chin, forcing her head up. To her horror, she found herself staring up into the red eyes of Lord Naraku.  
  
Finally, he released her, and swept a grand hand toward the body. "Let this be a lesson to you and your family, human. Do not test me, do not think you can get away with anything. You are slaves, meant to serve and to obey. Do not ever forget that."  
  
------------------------  
  
Urasue bowed in thanks to the Lord Inutaikou before turning to step into her carriage. As she pulled away from the palace, her bulging eyes roamed across its many windows and she cackled delightfully. Within two months, things should be pretty riled up. She had done everything she could to see that everything went in her favor. Having that nice chat with Sesshoumaru would surely guarantee that feelings between Kagome and the two brothers will grow.  
  
Her long gnarly fingers tapped at her chin thoughtfully. Inu-Yasha would be furious to find that Sesshoumaru had harmed the human slave. Kagome would become a lifeless body. And in the end, surely Sesshoumaru would confront his feelings for the human. Urasue cackled again, gleefully. Oh this was one drama she would not want to miss.  
  
In two months, she was sure to return to one heck of a hell house.  
  
:End Chapter 8:  
  
AN: It took me a long time before I finally decided to post this chapter. Sorry for its abruptness. And hopefully, things will flow more smoothly from now on. 


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